Found
by zerokanda
Summary: Kanda found Allen under some debris, and Allen naturally gets attached to the blue-haired exorcist. What's going to happen next? .forgive me for the AHEM title and summary, I know it's VERY conventional.
1. Found

A/N: Allen here is an accommodator since he was found, and he hasn't been able to control his Innocence, yesh, all the way till he was fifteen. But I didn't really fill the gap from the part Mana died, I'm not sure whether I'll even make Mana exist. ^^;; So forgive me if the setting and characterization is a little confusing.

Extra note: Thoughts are in Italic, and I have a weird habit of not using first person terms in thoughts, so, if it's confusing, tell me and I'll try amending that odd habit of mine. I refrain from using the "_____'s POV" thing. It annoys me. But not all Italics are thoughts though! Some are just normal lines in Italic for emphasis. If the words sound too ego or OOC for the character, it's most probably emphasis, not thought.

Warning: This is a Yullen fic, I'm sure you know that, and if you're here looking for lemons or sth, HAH! You'll be terribly disappointed. There will definitely be an overload of sugar and fluff, but that's all. The most you'll see is an increase in weight on the weighing scale! ^^

Disclaimer: Yeshhh~This place is called _Fan_fiction for a reason. These characters do not belong to me and never will. They belong to Katsura Hoshino.

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--

"Che" Kanda was about to turn away from the pile of debris when a small sea of white peeking out from somewhere _under_ those debris caught his eye.

Striding over with what only the blue-haired exorcist would deem as "usual speed", Kanda was beside that tuft of hair in instant, hands working the debris off of that boy underneath. It was only after a minute or two had Kanda finally managed to kick the last slab of concrete off the boy's trapped feet. Gently pulling the semi-conscious boy up, Kanda mentally kicked himself for not having found the injured boy sooner. The disheveled boy had a head of white hair and a red pentacle above his left eye, with a jagged line descending all the way right past that eye. His right arm had cuts and grazes all along it, while his left arm...Kanda's cobalt eyes almost turned an intimidating onyx as he stared at that arm. It took on a dark, reddish hue, with a bright glowing cross on it. The boy lying in his arms had Innocence.

_No wonder there wasn't any Akuma left to kill when he reached. _

But the boy…the boy looked barely as if he had fully registered why or how his arm had done that. Nevermind that now, Kanda had finally noticed the boy's persistent but incoherent stare at him through half-lidded eyes.

_Shit, how could he have not realized a stare, moreover coming from a moyashi right before him._

The boy had now clung onto Kanda's exorcist coat, those eyes displaying the fear and confusion beneath his exterior. The boy only managed to mouth a single word, before he faded into unconsciousness after getting his answer.

"Oi, moyashi, you'd better not die on me."

—

Lavi turned to find the phlegmatic exorcist carrying a boy around…fifteen?...walking towards him.

"Che, found this boy under that wreck back there. We're bringing him back." Kanda offered no explanation for his actions and walked away, boy still in his arms, completely ignoring the red-haired exorcist still gaping at his back in shock. After a shake of his head, Lavi scurried ahead, catching up with Kanda.

"Ne, say the stoic and aloof exorcist Yuu-chan is helping a boy he found in a town on a mission? That's not the Yuu I know!" Lavi said teasingly, completely fine with the idea of allowing Kanda to bring anyone to the Order. Kanda had never done that before, showing a bit more concern than what he felt necessary where others were concerned. Whoever it was, how could he make Kanda lose this once-in-a-lifetime chance at helping someone voluntarily?

Kanda ignored the rabbit's comments, thoughts too preoccupied by the boy resting almost snugly in his arms to realize that the red-head had used his first name. Lavi, in the meantime, was still marveling in the fact that his neck hadn't anything black or sharp by the name of Mugen pressed up into it. Still staring at the fast retreating back in awe, Lavi caught up with Kanda ten seconds later.

—

"Yuu, it's too late, we can't go back at this time, we have to at least rest for the nighttttt," Lavi whined in the most annoyingly humane way possible at the figure in front of him, who was close to pacing around the minute confines of the room.

As much as he hated to admit it, baka usagi had finally gotten something so completely right that left him no room to refute. Kanda felt the urge to roll his eyes and snort at a particularly noisy _thing_. Lavi was sitting at the edge of his bed—there were two beds in the room, staring at the almighty exorcist, Yuu Kanda, who was currently seated on his own bed, body twisted in a partially uncomfortable manner—the stranger they had picked up simply refused to let go of the two lapels of Kanda's coat, stubborn fingers clutching tightly on, even in that state of unconsciousness. Which ultimately resulted in his lower torso facing the boy, legs thrown over the edge of the bed while his head was turned to the rabbit.

Lavi gave a cheerful grin at Kanda's lack of response, which signified one thing—they'd be staying for the night.

_And of course, one more reason to laugh—Kanda's situation was…too damn_ cute.

Kanda glared at Lavi in return. He _knew _that the baka usagi was thoroughly pleased at his current _predicament._

After Lavi had washed up and had happily tucked himself under the covers, Kanda was not surprised to hear his snores from across the room. Sighing in irritation, Kanda was compelled to wrinkle his nose at his situation. He couldn't remain in this position for the whole night. A sore back was not something he had an interest or liking in.

_Damn, and he hadn't been able to wash up with that moyashi clinging on to him like that either. He was _not _getting in the shower with a moyashi he hardly knew, unconscious or not._

Annoyed that his uncomfortable position wasn't helping him to either sleep or think, Kanda closed his eyes in defeat and gave in finally. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed, dropping his exhausted body on the soft and smooth sheets. He was now facing an enlarged version of the moyashi's face.

Kanda let out a soft 'che' before closing his eyes, allowing his exhaustion to get the better of him.

—

Kanda awoke to the new morning at his usual time—5 am. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly a very_ usual_ waking time for the apprentice Bookman. Taking a look at the still-unconscious boy, Kanda swept the body into his arms and walked over to the other bed.

Towering over the baka usagi, Kanda gave a swift kick to the decidedly unresponsive idiot. In the face. It was only then did Lavi wake up.

Grumbling and spitting out all sorts of conventional names and insults, Lavi rubbed the sleep from his eyes, muttering something along the lines of lives by his face…marring his perfect skin…unearthly hour…ogre…running low on sanity...completely batty—before Kanda effectively and efficiently shut him up by drawing Mugen out by three inches.

_Not like he gave a damn anyway._

Not being a morning person, or rather, not being used to being waken at "unearthly hours", Lavi didn't talk for the next two hours, which was rather unsettling to Kanda, but he took it with good grace, since it wasn't everyday he got to find peace when with the baka usagi.

They caught the first train back to the headquarters. It should take less than a day, and by a stroke of luck, they should reach before dusk. Kanda sat on one side of the small compartment, while the rabbit sat on the other side, staring at Kanda's face with heavily-rimmed eyes for a few moments before his head drooped, chin touching his chest. Baka usagi had gone back to sleep.

_Che, typical of that idiot to sleep anywhere with a backrest._

—

Kanda looked down at the boy in his arms, contented with just gazing at that queer scar over his left eye. He stared at the boy, eyes tracing the moyashi's jawline, his cheekbone, his nose. It was far more interesting that the passing scenery outside and the foreign faces that vaguely resembled receding lampposts at each platform. Che, he didn't care. After several hours, Kanda had to drag a certain red-head along with him down the train.

—

Luck hadn't been exactly on their side. It was already dusk when Kanda looked up at the familiar dark and looming headquarters before him. But this was still home. To more than just him. It was home to countless other exorcists, finders, researchers, and of course, all the other insignificant staff, Kanda thought, pulling his gaze away from the ominous building, choosing instead, to step inside it.

The redhead had shuffled his way to the cafeteria to stuff his face the moment he got in, and Kanda could only snort in friendly contempt at the baka usagi's actions before he dumped the body he still carried with him, at the Infirmary. The nurses had a _very _hard time uncurling the stubborn fingers from his, and when they finally managed to, Kanda gave a faint 'che' of annoyance before turning back and stopping in his tracks at the door. He muttered something like, "take care of him."

It was the closest to "concern" the man had ever shown. Nurses swooned, syringes were dropped, trays and trolleys were pushed over. That part-statement had the Infirmary in chaos, determined to "take care" of the boy to the best of their ability. They all thought the same thing: _It wasn't everyday the great Yuu Kanda got himself concerned with another homosapien._

—

Kanda had been called to Komui's office, with the crazy head grinning in the most disgusting way possible, holding his mug of coffee the moment he stepped in.

_Che, idiot head is always either asleep in his office or awake and making too much noise while drinking coffee._

"Talk," Kanda said, shooting the head a glare, choosing to stand than to sit.

He didn't want the head of branch thinking he had a lot of time to spare.

"Awww, Yuu-chan, don't be so fierce! I just heard that you brought a boy to the Order! And Lavi seemed really pleased too!" Komui stated, all the while sidling closer and closer to the passive exorcist.

Kanda was cursing under his breath, muttering a long string of words, with the key idea being slicing up the large-mouthed rabbit to make stew for the head of order.

Meanwhile, Komui's persistent, smug gaze was sending Kanda scrambling in his mind, looking for excuses as to why he had brought the moyashi to the Order.

_Why _had _he brought the moyashi back? Because of his injuries? Because of his scar? Because of his…his what?_

Kanda gave the most reasonable excuse possible.

"The moyashi had Innocence. I figured we were supposed to bring accommodators back?" Kanda growled nonchalantly, not revealing what was really under that calm and cool façade.

Komui looked palpably crestfallen at that confession.

_Weeeell, he was expecting a different reason, maybe like…he cared or something. _

Komui grumbled, pouting.

_Trust the great exorcist Kanda to sour his self-prophesised joy at proving his theory wrong._

"If there's nothing else, I'm going off."

Kanda hadn't even waited for an answer. He left, slamming the door behind him, leaving Komui to mourn over whatever was in his pea-brain.

—

The first thing Kanda had done after getting into his room was to rest Mugen against the wall and take a shower. It was pleasantly refreshing, Kanda thought, loosening his tense frame through a shower. The trickle of water between his eyes, down the bridge of his nose, all the way to his chin.

Thanks to that baka moyashi, he had been deprived of a shower for a day and that fact only made him more relieved that he finally got his rightful shower.

Stepping out of the bathroom and putting on a change of excorcist clothes, Kanda tied his flowing hair back neatly and put on his boots before making his way to the cafeteria.

—

Word had spread, started by a certain usagi that the almighty exorcist had brought a boy back to the headquarters. All of them had dismissed the point why the cold and aloof exorcist had brought somebody back, but were rather, more interested in who the boy was.

Finders and exorcists alike pestered him before and when he was eating his soba.

_Damnit, why can't everybody just leave me alone? Here I was, hoping for some peace and quiet while I have my soba for the first time since the mission, and everybody here decides to give a brand new meaning to claustrophobia. _

It was most infuriating for the blue-haired exorcist, and he pointedly ignored the questions everybody threw at him, although his hand was _itching,_ just i_tching _to brandish one of his few materialistic possessions there and then.

—

The silver-haired boy awoke to a rather white-looking place reeking of sterilizers. He remembered a man who dug him out with a hint of desperation. A man with long, dark blue hair and cobalt eyes. His saviour's features. He remembered them.

—

Before long, a flustered Lenalee had approached Kanda, only helping to add to the bundle of irritation in him.

"Kanda-san, the boy woke up half an hour ago and we've been trying to get him to talk but all he does is shy away from us and says one word over and over incessantly," Lenalee said to the exorcist, elbowing her way through the crowd.

"And?"

Lenalee could have sworn she saw the exorcist's lips quirk when she mentioned that the boy only said one word.

"It's not funny, we can't even get him to drink up the nutrient supplements," Lenalee huffed.

Kanda finally finished his soba and was flicking a lazy look to the female exorcist. What the boy did really was none of his concern. He couldn't care less about what the boy did or did not say—

"The word he keeps repeating is your name, Kanda-san," Lenalee added, off-handedly, casting a look at Kanda. She wanted to see his reaction.

Now, _this_ caught him off-guard.

Kanda was up in an instant, his face registering about a quarter of his shock at Lenalee's words.

[A/N: Kanda DOES have a reputation to keep, you know…]

The green-haired exorcist was now grinning smugly at Kanda's reaction. He'd almost never shown this face before. It _was_ nice to see that exasperatingly well-kept exterior fracture, even if just once.

Meanwhile, the crowd around Kanda had listened in on the conversation, their intelligence allowing them to focus on the most trivial part of the conversation—Lenalee's dark side.

"So, are you—" Lenalee hadn't even finished her sentence before she saw something flit in front of her, and the next moment, she was left standing along with a crowd which, by the look of their faces, had no idea what had just happened.

Lenalee smirked. She wasn't as innocent as her brother tried to impose on that she was. Just like any other, she liked to tease and have a bit of "harmless" fun now and then too. Shrugging, she quickly dispersed the dazed, large crowd.

—

_Allen's POV_

That was the answer he was given, 'Kanda'. Nurses and doctors streamed in, constantly trying to get his attention on his nutrient supplements. Honestly, that was the least of what was on his mind now. His only wish was to see his savior. The one who found him after an incident he recalled, a little less than what he'd describe as clear actually. He didn't like it, the enlarged faces of people getting in his face and the hands that kept trying to rest on his hand or shoulder. He didn't like it, people being too close to him. He considered it 'unwanted physical contact'.

_Why wouldn't they go away? He only wanted to see his savior, not have these odd people fussing over him._

—

Kanda didn't even know why he had given his name so easily to a boy whom he barely knew. Maybe it was the trust overflowing from those eyes that got him to do that. Kanda steadied his breathing before he extended his hand, turning the doorknob.

He could see the anxious face of the boy, tense position, on the bed, hands curled slightly around the sheets. He walked closer to the boy, and he saw what Lenalee meant. The boy's left arm was wrapped completely in bandages, while he had a small wad of gauze covering a seemingly shallow laceration on the left of his forehead, near the pentacle. The nutrient supplements were in a glass by the bed, along with other food for the patient, untouched, but the moyashi had only widened his eyes at the sight of him, face splitting into a large grin while he called out, "Kanda!"

The moyashi flung his arms around him when he was beside the bed, only ceasing his movements to look up at the exorcist.

"Che, you haven't changed." Kanda was commenting on his clinginess, but the boy paid no attention.

Worry and concern for the moyashi getting the better of him, Kanda held the glass by the bed and pushed it, gingerly, to his lips. Surprisingly, the moyashi only continued grinning and compliantly wrapped his fingers around the glass, drinking the powdery substance down in three gulps.

Almost chidingly, Kanda flicked his forefinger lightly on the boy's forehead, "Why didn't you drink earlier when the nurses told you to?"

The boy ignored the question, settling for catching hold of the hand by his forehead and examining it.

"Oi, moyashi, don't ignore me. Can you talk? You should at least tell me how old you are."

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, the boy opened his mouth and mumbled, "Name's Allen. 'm fifteen."

Kanda gave a rude 'che', choosing to reply with a, "Moyashi's a better name."

Allen pouted at this but made no objections.

Deciding that moyashi was in a good condition after seeing him with his own eyes, Kanda turned to leave and call the nurses in. A hand stopped him from walking any further. Allen had lunged, and was now at the edge of the bed, one hand for support while the other held on to his exorcist coat. Bewildered and partially confused, Kanda turned back at the moyashi, hand instinctively moving to pry those fingers off of him. Giving a cry of distress, Allen reflexively tightened his hold, blurting a firm, "Don't leave."

Kanda started blinking rapidly and with a dumb nod, Kanda pulled a chair closer to him and took a seat, arms now crossed in that usual arrogant manner of his. Seeing that his savior wasn't about to go anywhere, Allen relinquished his hold, and hooked his hand to the sleeve of Kanda's coat instead.

Kanda had no idea what he should do while stuck in a white room with a moyashi by the name of Allen. He darted a quick look at the moyashi on the Infirmary bed.

—

Allen was trying, very, very hard, not to nod off, each time his chin was close to hitting his chest, he would shake his head and force his eyes to remain open.

What if his savior went away? He didn't know anybody in this strange place. He didn't want to risk not being able to find this 'Kanda'.

—

"Baka moyashi, I won't be going anywhere, so you can just go to sleep. You're wounded. You need rest." Kanda pointed out, guessing his thought. Allen shook his head defiantly, inching closer to the exorcist.

Unable to see moyashi stretching himself thin like this, Kanda gave an irritated growl and pulled the boy closer, pushing that fragile head of white to his chest, all the while keeping his arms encircled around moyashi.

Allen suppressed a contented sigh and leaned into the contact, allowing himself the much-needed rest.

—

Kanda hadn't slept at all; he listened to the whir of machines surrounding the boy, the steady but slow heartbeat close to his.

_Moyashi's asleep._

Lavi, apparently told everybody who didn't know what happened during the mission everything he knew of, and he had run out of things to say. He strode cheerfully down the corridor to the Infirmary. He wanted, badly wanted to see the boy again, he might get inspiration to carry out another slanderous report to Komui! Which baka-usagi would miss such a chance! Not him!

—

Peeking into the room, Lavi opened the door and, preparing for a "Grand-entrance", which was basically a surprise-appearance with noise tantamount to twice that of a parade. Lavi walked in on the two and successfully came across a scene that he would by hook or by crook, brand into his mind. The highly arrogant exorcist was…_cradling_ the boy? Moreover, the exorcist was casually…_stroking _those white locks?! Lavi could only find one word to describe what he say: cute. Backing away from the room, and taking care to be soundless when he closed the door, Lavi scurried away, terribly exhilarated at his new find—a never-seen-before side of Yuu-chan.

—

Once moyashi was in a deep slumber, Kanda stayed where he was, finding himself unable to slip away from the moyashi, as much as his instincts practically screamed at him to.

_Who knows what fit moyashi may throw if he disappeared just like that. Seems that this moyashi was rather _attached_ to him._

Kanda smirked. It wasn't everyday somebody got this _close_ to him, or tried to.

—

It was 5 am. Time for his morning training. Kanda sighed. He didn't like the idea of leaving the moyashi alone.

_God knows how the moyashi would overreact. _

But his morning training was a daily routine not to be broken. He had kept to that routine since he arrived at the Order. Sighing for the second time, Kanda pressed his lips into a thin line and removed those slender fingers from his sleeve. Getting up from the chair, Kanda took one last look at Allen and closed the door behind him, silently making his way to the training grounds.

—

As usual, it was just him. Nobody at the Order woke up this early for…_training._

Just a little bit more, a while more before he can place Mugen back into its sheath and conclude the day's training. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, Kanda practiced a move he excelled at. His speed move.

He had his feet spread out in an infallibly well-balanced stance, shoulders hunched over, body crouching low. His hair had been tied back in a neat ponytail; only his bangs covered part of his intense gaze. His lips were drawn into a grim line, face an expressionless mask.

Even the air particles barely felt it when he moved. One quick flash, and the next moment, a half-shadow clung to one side of his face, making Kanda look twice as menacing as he did previously. His hair had moved, just a fraction, and the only tell-tale sign that Kanda had finished the last part of his training was the already-sheathed Mugen.

_Kanda was fast._

—

Kanda's hair was completely dry by the time he had stepped onto the corridor to the cafeteria. He had taken his shower, tied his hair back like it always was, and now he smelled of green tea. Of course, he doesn't know that. It's just you and me. It hadn't been long until a familiar face popped out from a turn.

_Lavi._

Lavi looked immensely relieved when their eyes locked. Kanda's eyes skimmed over the scene before him.

_Che, moyashi was right in front of Lavi, wearing that idiotic grin of his again, staring right ahead. At him.  
_

Allen seemed to have possessed a peculiar habit of staring at him. Or directing his grins at him. Either way, although it wasn't strangely unpleasant, it was a change from what normally happened to Kanda. Kanda's thoughts were disrupted when the red-head's voice piped up.

"I went to the Infirmary to take a look at him, and he was struggling off the bed. He insisted on looking for you when he woke up and he can't move properly without help, butbut—but he wouldn't let me touch him," Lavi explained, whining, wringing his hands in what Kanda identified as the closest to the word 'distress' he could ever get.

Meanwhile, moyashi had settled to continue staring at Kanda. Allen cleared his throat, rasping a hopeful, "Help me?" while looking up at Kanda.

Kanda's eyebrow rose, and for a moment there, Allen looked unbelievably crestfallen. Kanda shook his head almost imperceptibly, emitting a soft sigh of defeat, before he leaned over, bending down, then sweeping the boy up into his arms, bridal-style. Lavi could only watch in mute shock as the boy made no complaints, bringing his arms around Kanda's neck, and then happily nestling his head against Kanda's chest. Lavi's jaw was still slack when he timidly stole a glance at the ice-cold exorcist. He hadn't complained once. He heard a distinct 'che' before the Kanda stalked off in the direction of the cafeteria, yet not a single murderous look or glare.

—

Allen brought his arms around the exorcist's neck without hesitation. Kanda hadn't refused! That was one thing to keep him happy for days to come. He liked it when he was around the blue-haired man. He made him feel safe. Choosing to abandon all thoughts, Allen nestled his head against the smooth planes beside his head.

Kanda walked his usual strides to the cafeteria. The boy was unexpectedly light; he didn't expect the boy to be so light, even if he was rather…small for a boy of fifteen. Less than two minutes and Kanda was at the cafeteria, ignoring the stares thrown in his direction from the handful of people in the cafeteria.

"Oi, moyashi, cafeteria," Kanda mumbled at Allen.

Allen took it as a sign that he should take his arms off the man, allowing Kanda to put him down. Allen did it reluctantly, but only after pouting cutely for a complete three seconds.

—

_Damn, must he be that cute when he's…when he's—angry? upset?…whatever. _

Grudgingly, Kanda raised a hand from his side, ruffling the younger boy's hair, making it more messy than it already was. Allen didn't seem to mind, instead leaning into the contact and plastering an innocent grin on his face once more. Lavi gleefully made his way to Jerry, making orders for the three of them, leaving the "display of affection" there, allowing them some personal space.

—

"Uhhh Jerry, I want the usuals, which is anything good that's on the menu, and for Kanda, soba. The moyashi…" Lavi paused at this. He had no idea what Allen-chan liked.

_Allen would probably eat anything that Kanda eats. Soooo, soba!_

"—make that two soba servings please!" Lavi finished.

Jerry only gave a nod, followed by a large booming laugh and made his very noisy way to the back of the kitchen to prepare his food, all the while whistling cheerfully.

Kanda, seeing that the baka usagi had finally done something right and made the order for all three of them, proceeded to taking a seat, with Allen following closely and plonking himself down right beside Kanda.

When Lavi came, whooping and carrying a mountain of food, plates wobbling and bowls shaking above him, Kanda gave an annoyed 'che'.

_Couldn't the rabbit be a bit more normal and eat a few carrots like what animals of his specie did? Instead of bringing a whole life-sized tower of Pisa over to their table? _

Lavi ignored the disapproving look from the cold exorcist. He set the two servings of soba down before Allen and Yuu-chan and started his habit of wolfing, or rather, rabbiting down his food.

Kanda and Allen looked at their plates of food, then turning to look at the exact same that was laid in front of each other. Two responses came at the same time. A very delighted Allen grinning at Kanda, and Kanda turning his face away in embarrassment, a particular colour stealing its way to his cheeks.

_Che, why had that baka usagi gotten them the same food?!_

Allen, not noticing the flush on the older's face, clapped his hands together and said 'itadakimasu!' before digging into his food. Apparently, he had no problems with eating just soba. He had finished almost as fast as Kanda, and he made no complaints about the meal at all.

_Of course_, Lavi almost sniggered, keeping his face hidden behind the empty plates, _why would he complain? He gets to eat the same thing as his dearest saviour!_

Lavi let out a shout of dismay.

"Ahhhhh! Sorry, Yuu-chan, I have to go off first! Panda-jiji had files he needed me to check, I was supposed to do it yesterday, but I…slept instead…heh…so, yeah, gotta run and finish the job quick, or that panda'll come after me. See ya!" With that, Lavi scampered off, worried that any delay might trigger off a series of specialized "panda-jiji" attacks to his poor head.

Kanda acknowledged those words with a nod and he stood up, planning to go back and meditate. Allen tailed behind him, out of the cafeteria, sticking impossibly close to Kanda's side. Allen struggled to keep up despite his stumbles and trips, trying desperately not to lose sight of Kanda. The older gave a very annoyed growl, slowing down.

_Why hadn't the moyashi asked for help? If he couldn't walk properly, he should at least_ request _that he help._

Whipping around to face the clumsy and yet fully recovered boy, Kanda scooped the boy up, a repeat of what he did earlier on.

"Baaaka moyashi. If you need help, say it. I don't like you keeping it to yourself like that, got me?"

Said moyashi, visibly surprised that the exorcist had carried him voluntarily, only wound his arms as tightly as he could around Kanda's neck in response. At a loss, Kanda chose to remain silent and made his way back to…

…_wait. To his room…? What about the moyashi? _

Taking smaller steps, Kanda asked the boy gruffly, "Oi, moyashi, where do you want me to bring you? I'm going back to my room, and I can't possibly be bringing you into my room. Do you need me to make a trip to the Infirmary?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Allen's pulse sped, and he held on to the exorcist even tighter.

_No, he didn't want to go back to the Infirmary. He wanted, no needed, to stay close to this man. He didn't want the white walls and tubes and more bandages and whirring machines in that small room. _

Frowning, Allen pressed his face into Kanda's chest.

"Oioi, I get your point, you'd better not cry on me."

"I just changed before going to the cafeteria," Kanda added, although the main reason he did not want the moyashi to cry was because he never had experience with crying people, let alone a moyashi like this one.

Allen knew Kanda's added on sentence was an excuse, but why, he didn't know. Nevermind, all that mattered was that he was most probably going to get to stay with the man for a longer period of time. That one thought caused Allen to lift the corners of his mouth again.

_Everything will be alright as long as the man was around him._

_._

_._

_.  
_


	2. Cared

A/N: Allen here is an accommodator since he was found, and he hasn't been able to control his Innocence, yesh, all the way till he was fifteen. But I didn't really fill the gap from the part Mana died, I'm not sure whether I'll even make Mana exist. ^^;; So forgive me if the setting and characterization is a little confusing.

Extra note: T_T you can just refer to the previous chapter.

Extra note2: I realized that the cook was Jeryy and not Jerry, but I decided to stick with it since I used Jerry in the prev. chapter. ^^

**Extra note3: Neko Serena reminded me about the translations. If you don't know jap. very well, scroll ALL THE WAY down. Yeah, translations are there. **

Warning: This is a Yullen fic, I'm sure you know that, and if you're here looking for lemons or sth, HAH! You'll be terribly disappointed. There will definitely be an overload of sugar and fluff, but that's all. The most you'll see is an increase in weight on the weighing scale! ^^

Disclaimer: Yeshhh~This place is called _Fan_fiction for a reason. These characters do not belong to me and never will. They belong to Katsura Hoshino.

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--

Kanda stopped outside his room. He was hesitating. He had never let anybody in his room before.

_Unless you count that baka usagi who barged into his room well past midnight._

—

[flashback]

It was almost 2 am in the morning and the rabbit had barged into his room, trying to pull a sleeping Kanda out from under the covers.

"Yuu-chan, wake uppppp."

Growling, Kanda's eyes flitted around the room dangerously, looking for a particular something.

_Damn, the baka usagi had hidden it._

"What, just what are you doing in _my_ room?" Kanda snarled, lunging at Lavi in the most feral way possible.

Shaking and backing up against the wall, since the room was so neat and there was practically _nothing_ for him to hide behind, Lavi forced out, cowering, "I wanted to watch a late. Midnight. Movie."

"And? I suppose you thought 2 am would make it suitably _late _for midnight and hence deduced with your empty rabbit-head that if you watched a movie at this hour, it would make it a _late. Midnight. Movie_," Kanda answered through gritted teeth.

Lavi hadn't heard Kanda at all, he was now standing straight, awe-struck. His dearest Yuu-chan had said a complete sentence at one go!

"Before I skewer you, I would suggest that you get out of my room and go watch your damn _late. Midnight. Movie._ By yourself."

Lavi had bounded out of the room like the rabbit he was. He knew it wouldn't take long if Kanda _really _set his mind to finding Mugen and skewering him with it. And it wasn't anywhere hard to find. Just...well...under the bed or something. His memory wasn't very good. Waitttt...what if Kanda couldn't find it and asked him for it? And he wasn't able to answer the question?

Lavi shuddered at the thought, speeding up and chucking an anxious glance over his shoulder.

[end flashback]

—

It was…strange, carrying a moyashi around in his arms and entering his room, nonetheless. Feeling an imminent headache if he continued to overwork his brain cells like this, thinking of strange things he didn't usually think of, Kanda opened the door and stepped in.

Allen stared at the room in wonder. It was neat and tidy. There wasn't much in the room. Sure, the bed and the bathroom was there, but…_Kanda really didn't have much things, did he?_

Scanning his eyes across the well-kept room, Allen pointed at the bed and gave his best puppy eyes. He badly wanted to see what it felt like, the bed that Kanda slept in. Nodding stiffly like a silent consent, Kanda set the moyashi down on the bed carefully. He didn't want to risk hurting the moyashi.

Allen smiled in gratitude. He could tell that the man was placing extra care in handling him and he was very appreciative of the fact that he bothered doing so.

Kanda gave an embarrassed 'che' and turned away quickly, trying to hide his awkwardness. He turned around again, after a moment, only to see that the moyashi had turned over and was…_suffocating?_ himself with his own pillow.

—

Allen inhaled the faint scent of green tea and soap on the pillow. The very same comforting smell he never failed to find on the blue-haired exorcist.

—

Clearly worried at the moyashi's lack of response, Kanda extended a hand and brushed his fingers against the side of Allen's face. Allen hadn't responded. Surprisingly alarmed, Kanda climbed over the edge of the bed, head bowed down, supporting himself with one knee put steady on the bed while the other foot was placed aligned with the other. Attempting to turn the moyashi over, Kanda bowed his head down, peering anxiously at Allen's face when he finally removed his face from _his_ pillow.

Allen looked up, seeing a pair of cobalt eyes looking him over, anxiety strewn across that beautiful face. Kanda. His position on the bed by his side. He looked like…like…like a knight. Like _his_ knight. Eyes glittering, Allen flashed his teeth at the exorcist in a boyish grin. The man never failed to make him happy.

Kanda's expression, from anxiety, changed subtly, he was getting more embarrassed by his position. His head was over the boy's, hair by his face, hanging downwards. He seemed like…like…like he was going to _kiss the boy._ Flushing deeply, Kanda did a quick somersault over the bed, landing elegantly a few feet from the bed.

Blinking wildly and taking a moment to react, Allen shot up from the bed.

_Why had Kanda disappeared like that? Was he angry? What did he do? He didn't do anything wrong right?_

"I…I need to wash my face. A little tired," Kanda lied, guessing by the faint rustle of the sheets that the moyashi was probably confused and was wondering what made him move away. He just felt the need to reassure the moyashi.

_Oh._ Allen felt as if somebody took a large boulder off of his heart. _So that was why he vanished like that._

Kanda, keeping up with the lie, went to the bathroom. Finding nothing to do, he _did_ wash his face in the end. As he reached for his towel, which was a dark blue, not unlike his hair, to wipe the water droplets from his face, he felt someone's eyes on him. Hastening his actions and grabbing the towel to dry his dripping wet face, he hung the towel back to how it was and turned to look at the intruder.

It was the moyashi.

Kanda's eyebrow rose inquiringly, "yes?"

Allen shook his head furiously, content with hiding his face behind his bangs and staring at the floor. His gaze trailed the tiles and he saw Kanda's feet, right where they were, unmoving.

_Was…was Kanda waiting for him to say something?_

Pursing his lips, Allen brought his gaze upwards, along those slender legs in those black pants, the hem of the coat, the tip of Mugen, along Mugen, the hilt of Mugen, the second button on the coat, then finally resting on the crest of the Black Order, before bringing his head up to look Kanda fully in the eye.

Clearing his throat in that habit of his when he was nervous, Allen spoke up, voice wavering after every few words, gauging Kanda's reaction.

"I…I was just…[shuffles feet] worried that…that you may disappear. I…I don't want to be away from…[volume plummets] from you for...for too long," Allen mumbled, all the while fidgeting, fingers aimlessly toying with the hem of his own shirt.

Kanda could see very clearly the moyashi's embarrassment. Not wanting to put him in a difficult situation, although that blush was, [ahem] very cute, Kanda went around the moyashi in an instant. He kneed Allen at the back of his knees, causing a startled moyashi to fall backwards—right into his arms.

Ignoring the moyashi's blinking, Kanda rested the moyashi on the bed, saying something like, "You shouldn't stand for too long. Weak moyashi like you may get worn out even from standing."

Allen opened his mouth to argue, but Kanda effectively hushed him with a statement, "I'm resting, any noise and you're dead meat."

"Moyashi." Kanda added.

Kanda had seated himself beside the bed, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, back straightened.

_This way, he only had to open his eyes and turn slightly to his right and he'd see the moyashi's face._

Of course, that was a secret he'd keep to himself. He wouldn't want a moyashi clinging on to him more than he already was.

If anything happened, he could—

…_he could what? Be there? _

"Che" He was getting softer. What happened to his sealed heart? Hadn't he thought he'd be fine on his own? Protecting his comrades and denying it was one thing, but getting…_attached _and being…_concerned_ with a moyashi? When had he gotten this soft? Steadying his breath and forcing his thoughts away by closing his eyes, Kanda soothed his irregular heartbeat.

Allen had been watching Kanda the whole time. He didn't know what the exorcist was thinking, but he had enough sense to see that the blue-haired exorcist was now planning to rest. Prompted to do the same, Allen shifted so that his body was turned sideways—

—he could see Kanda once he opened his eyes. Feeling extremely satisfied, just like he always was with Kanda close to him, Allen let sleep dominate his mind, uncaring that it was only a little past noon.

—

Allen was the first to wake up, or so he thought. He had slept very well, and the sleep was made even better when he opened his eyes to see the side of Kanda's face first thing. He occupied his groggy mind studying Kanda's face. He looked so relaxed, letting his guard down like that. Not even the slightest hint of a frown, a calm serenity blanketing his perfect features—

One eye opened to look at him.

Feeling butterflies in his stomach, Allen widened his eyes dramatically, blushing fully, having been caught in the middle of _ogling_ at his savior.

Kanda smirked.

"Like what you see?"

Open-mouthed, Allen was trying, desperately searching for words, but his thoughts seemed to catch on something in his mind, disabling his communication system. Fortunately, his blush and panic was communication enough around Kanda.

Kanda snorted.

_Well, the moyashi certainly wasn't very fun._ Wait, _what was he expecting the moyashi to say anyway? Yes…? _

Pushing these complicated thoughts out of his mind; Kanda brushed his coat and stood up, when he heard a loud rumble from the moyashi.

Allen lowered his head in embarrassment. He got hungry sometimes, but of all times…when he was with Kanda, he had to make such a noise…?!

Not noticing moyashi's inner distress, Kanda slid his arm behind Allen's knees, one hand splayed across the moyashi's chest so that the moyashi was sitting upright on his arm, back leaning into him. Allen brought his arm around Kanda's shoulders for balance. He figured that it was the only way for moyashi to look around at the Order, rather than at his face. He needed to know how to get around, at least to his room, in case he somehow got lost one day.

—

Kanda had ordered soba. For both him and the moyashi. Moyashi seemed rather fine with the choice of food, so he didn't probe further and waited patiently for the moyashi to finish his lunch. Kanda looked around, letting his thoughts drivel aimlessly away. Apparently, they driveled upon a baka usagi. Ouch, thoughts of that rabbit delivered him a splitting headache.

_Why wasn't the loud rabbit here? He always appeared; he never failed to turn up for meals. Che. He was probably stuck in the library doing work, just like he was _supposed_ to, instead of having too much time on his hands doing stupid things with his stupid brain._

Kanda glanced towards the moyashi beside him distractedly, alarmed when he merely saw an empty plate on the table; the moyashi was not beside him. Pushing himself away from the table, stumbling from the bench, Kanda caught sight of Allen. He was two tables further down, and as usual, wearing that innocent grin of his. In a moment, Kanda was beside Allen, crouching, arms crossed. Yes, he was not happy. Why would he be? He hadn't exactly recovered from the shock when moyashi disappeared off like that.

Allen seemed to sense that too, but being ever the martyr, he raised his head to meet Kanda's arched eyebrows and explained, "I…I wanted to try walking on my own. You were thinking of something and I…I didn't want to disturb you."

Kanda, no longer able to remain angry at such a sinfully cute moyashi found himself giving a defeated sigh and he motioned for the moyashi to follow him out of the cafeteria. Tagging behind, albeit slowly, Allen managed to keep up with Kanda's pace, which was a miracle. In truth, Kanda had slowed down, pretending to be fast with his usual fast steps, but his steps were noticeably smaller. At least, to him.

_The moyashi doesn't need to know of this soft spot he had for him. _

Kanda stopped suddenly, Allen crashing headlong into Kanda's sturdy back. Fortunately, his hand had instinctively reached out and grabbed hold of the moyashi's forearms.

—

'_Sheesh, Kanda sure turned around fast,' _Allen thought, staring up into cobalt eyes.

—

Tilting his head in an almost mocking manner, Kanda regarded the figure before him with interest.

_Really, the moyashi could be so stupid sometimes. Who walked and crashed into people on a large corridor as such? Moyashi._

Snapping out of his thoughts, Kanda commented skeptically, "We'll be going to the training room. You can already walk. We'll see if we can build up your stamina. You don't have much of that."

A second later, Kanda realized that he may have sounded too kind.

"You're an accommodator, we wouldn't want you passing out in the middle of a mission or even on the way to the cafeteria," Kanda added, determined to pretend that he wasn't _that _concerned about the moyashi. He was just doing things to the best interests of the Order. But who was he bluffing? Nobody. A fool would have seen the subtle change in his eyes when he looked at his moyashi. Those eyes softened when he spoke, in a way that was almost completely polite and civil, cut slack on a few 'che's and sarcastic snorts.

Allen nodded. Anything was fine as long as he got to stay beside Kanda. Kanda had already continued walking. Keeping up, Allen shyly caught hold of the exorcist's hand. Kanda ignored the heat from his face and forced himself to continue walking. He tightened his hold around the moyashi's hand in response, not once turning around.

Some part of Kanda's mind refused to quit gnawing at his nerves.

—

Kanda's POV

_Damnit, he did _not_ blush. Yuu Kanda did _not_ blush. Certainly not because of some moyashi too._

Truth is, you do _blush_.

—

There was nothing to push that smug tone away, and it continued, making Kanda glower at nothing in particular ahead.

—

'I don't care,' Kanda thought.

_Oh, about what? You have to be a bit more specific you know, because if you were referring to the moyashi, I have to tell you to stop lying to yourself._

I _wasn't_ referring to moyashi, and I don't lie. I do _not_ care about my moyashi.

_If I may, you just said there, 'my moyashi'. Secondly, explain your response to the moyashi then. You carried him around, in your arms. If it had been anybody else so much as touching you for more than two seconds like the moyashi, you'd have sliced that idiot up. _

'He's—' Kanda cringed inwardly. He couldn't find an excuse to cover that.

_There you go. The raise of your heartbeat, the internal agitation when he directs his happiness at you. When he smiled, when he grinned, when he flashes those silver eyes, when he saw that you stayed. For him. When he gets angry in the cutest way possible. _

'Yes, I may have taken an interest in him, but what makes you so sure that I like him anyway?' Kanda thought stubbornly, he was so close_, so close _to pouting to himself now.

_Aha, you see, I never mentioned anything about 'taking an interest in him' or 'liking him'. So, I guess guilt makes people spill their deepest heartfelt words eh? You do like him after all, just admit it._

Shaking his head and trying to will that inner part of himself to shut up, Kanda thought, 'Damn it, who the hell are you anyway?' Of course, he hadn't expected an answer, it was him and his mind playing tricks on him all along. But that tiny voice prompting him to stop denying his own feelings had nagged, and hit the mark right on.

_Stupid thoughts,_ Kanda thought furiously, annoyed at himself with his internal monologue. It had only frustrated him even more. Now he was positive that he _did_ care and perhaps—Kanda allowed himself a bit more room to fight his naivety— he was warming up to the moyashi, bit by bit, even if nobody had noticed. There was no denying now, nothing he could do could change this victorious battle he had let take place.

A voice cut off his whirring train of thoughts, bringing him back down to reality, where his moyashi was.

"Kanda, where is the training room? I think we've been walking around in circles for the past two minutes."

Embarrassed, Kanda gave a dry chuckle, very unlike what he ever did.

Looking around, Kanda replied, "Che. I was thinking of some things and wasn't paying attention. The training room's just a little more ahead."

That, was the closest thing to an apology that Kanda had ever made, but of course, Kanda hadn't bothered to notice such little things. And moyashi being moyashi, how would he know such a thing? He'd only been around for a few days.

Entering the training room, Allen looked around in wonder. It was a humongous place with lots of pillars around. It wasn't very bright, but it wasn't considered dark either. There were various marks on the walls and ceiling, each of them proof of another's intense training. Some of the marks were blunt but deep while others were slight but precise. It gave a very good gauge of just how different yet strong each exorcist was.

—

Kanda was standing a good twenty metres away from the moyashi, facing him, right hand on the hilt of his katana. Allen stood where he was, very confused.

_What was Kanda going to do? His stance…he looked like he was going to fight. But…why? Was he supposed to fight too? Was he supposed to attack Kanda? Or was he supposed to dodge Kanda's blows?_

Thoughts racing through his head, Allen continued to stare blankly at the space between two pillars where Kanda had chosen to stand.

—

_Che. Baka moyashi looks so confused._

Kanda brushed that off easily. Allen looked confused all the time. He was fifteen, he should know what was going on right?

_He would assume Allen knows how to invoke, or at least engage in less intensive close-combat. He _was_ an accommodator after all._

Drawing Mugen out of its sheath, Kanda charged forward, aiming for a straight blow. He needed to know how moyashi fought, amd blows which the moyashi would not be able to withstand or even see was not going to help.

Allen blinked. Twice. Once. Twice. Again.

Kanda was running towards him, directly. Barely a second passed and Kanda was already 5 metres from him, katana raised, a menacing gleam making its way from the metal hilt to the tip of the blade.

—

Strangely, Allen hadn't panicked, even as he raised Mugen, bringing it up in the air for an attack in one fluid movement.

_What, the _hell_ is wrong with the boy? Even if he had the best reflex among all the exorcists, it would be impossible to dodge _his_ blow, with _this_ distance between them. The idiot was still standing there, eyes widening in that stupid way of his. Damnit, his guards weren't even up,_ Kanda thought as his eyes ran an anxious way around his frame.

[A/N: 'in that stupid way of his'. HAH. Kanda definitely meant to think: in that cute way of his.]

Realising that the boy had no intention of fending off the impending blow, Kanda dropped Mugen immediately. Yes, _dropped_ Mugen. Judging by his momentum and distance left between moyashi and him, high chance he'd slice Allen cleanly in two before he managed to sheath his katana. If it had been anybody else before him, who knows whether he cared if he killed that person? He _never_ dropped Mugen. Momentum driving him on and giving him no chance to halt, Kanda crashed into his moyashi. Technically, his moyashi had crashed into him, because he had made use of the momentum; there was only a slight collision of bodies before he turned—so that his back had the undeniable fate of kissing the floor first— before he pulled the moyashi into his arms.

—

_Baaaka moyashi. Losing his balance with just a slight collision._ Kanda reached out and grabbed the moyashi by the forearms.

—

_Kanda had dropped his katana. The one he brought with him everywhere, save the bathroom. He hadn't exactly seen Kanda go into the bathroom often. Dropped it. And it was intentional too! _

Allen could see the man's furious face at the last instant, before the blue-haired exorcist had banged into him. He felt as if the air in him was rammed out. A pair of hands caught hold of his arms and pulled his teetering form backwards.

…_Wait. A pair of hands?!_

Allen turned his head by a fraction, in time to catch a glimpse of Kanda's face behind him.

_Kanda's hands. A little larger than his. Pale skin, slender fingers. Yes, definitely Kanda's hands. _

Allen smiled.

_ Well, he needn't worry now. He'd be fine, no matter what happened. This pair of hands would save him from anything and everything._

Allen allowed his body to fall backwards along with the pull of gravity and the pull of…well…someone's hands.

—

A muffled thud was all that was heard when Kanda's body landed upon the cold concrete slabs that were originally _beneath _his feet. Moyashi was caught in an embrace. His, of course. Who else would look out so well for the baka moyashi?

Kanda winced when he tried to get up in a sitting position—with his moyashi on top.

His back, was hurting like _hell._

Kanda chose to lie right back down, letting his head drop onto the floor, closing his eyes and recounting what happened.

"Oi, moyashi, are you hurt?"

He's reply seemed to reach his ears only after an eternity.

"N—no."

Unconsciously, his traitorous mind had taken control and he murmured a, "Good."

Allen's ears perked up at that. Flipping himself over and off of the blue-haired exorcist, Allen stood and smiled the biggest smile he could manage. Groaning softly, Kanda rose up to his forearms at the sudden lightening in load.

"Moyashi, grin anymore and your face may freeze up like that." Kanda mumbled, not completely annoyed at all the smiles, but just a little embarrassed to have such a…coughcoughcutecough moyashi be the one smiling.

"Kanda, were you worried? For me…? Was that why you let go of Mugen?" Allen asked in an almost solemn tone, if not for the imploring face he gave.

Kanda looked at moyashi in surprise. He didn't want to lie to a moyashi asking him with such genuine and large eyes.

Mumbling as quick as he could muster, Kanda gave a 'yes' before turning to look away, at anything but the moyashi.

Turning around again, this time fully, and glaring at Allen, eyes narrowing dangerously, Kanda said, tone driven somewhat with an edge of desperation, "Why, why in the blazes didn't you attack me when I charged?! Or fended off the oncoming blow at least?! You could have gotten killed there, on the spot. Were you that confident that you'd be able to dodge that blow?!"

"You'll save me," Allen interrupted, a trusting and tiny smile gracing his features.

"—What if you didn't make it in time?! What if something happened to you?! Do you honestly think I can forgive myself if I ever made such a mistake?! Did you think of the conse—," Kanda had plowed on mercilessly, gears not in the best state to click right away yet.

"Wha…?" Kanda slurred int he middel of the long rant. Allen's words finally registering in his mind. His gaze softened.

Pulling the boy into a crushing embrace, Kanda dipped his head and inhaled.

"Mo-ya-shi, what if I really didn't make it in time? What if I injured you?" Shaking his head slowly in tortured exasperation, Kanda brought a hand up to ruffle the boy's white locks lovingly.

Allen took the chance to press himself closer still to the blue-haired exorcist.

_Kanda…Kanda was always this warm._

He nuzzled his face into Kanda's chest, letting the words slip, muffled.

"I trust you."

Giving a profound sigh, Kanda said, not unkindly, "You have to learn who to trust. Not everyone would protect you the same way I would. Got it?"

At this, Allen scowled.

_Dear God, how does he remain this cute even when he's angry…?_

"Oi, moyashi, that reminds me. Why didn't you at least invoke your Innocence? For accommodators, whether they trust the person or not, some part of them usually invokes the Innocence as reflex."

"Are you…are you talking about my arm?" Allen asked, bringing his left hand up and inspecting it.

"Y—yes."

The reply sounded hesitant. So the boy hadn't realized that what he was wielding was called…Innocence?

"I don't know how to," Allen stated simply, tilting his head to stare at Kanda.

Kanda widened his eyes.

_Impossible. So he really didn't know how to control his Innocence. Then all this time…his Innocence had been activating and de-activating by sheer instinct? It couldn't be. Unless there was something which happened to make the Innocence react to Akuma naturally. Had it something to do with his curse? The one on his left eye?_

"Did I do something wrong?" Allen asked softly, peering at Kanda.

_Was Kanda mad at him? Why was Kanda staring ahead of him? Why wasn't Kanda responding?_

Feeling thoroughly insecure as his pulse quickened considerably, Allen suddenly tightened his arms around the exorcist, putting more of his weight against Kanda. He wasn't going to let Kanda leave, even if he _was_ angry.

_He hadn't done anything wrong...right?_

Kanda was pulled back to reality with those possessive arms around him.

"Oi. Moyashi? What's wrong?"

Allen chose not to answer and instead asked, "Kanda, are you angry with me?"

Kanda didn't mask his surprise. Why would he be angry at moyashi?

"Because I didn't…invoke? My…my…Inno-innocence?" Allen pressed on, trying very hard to remember what Kanda had said.

"Baka moyashi. I'm not angry, so you'd better not cry."

Allen blinked and nodded profusely. He wasn't going to make Kanda angry.

—

Kanda looked behind him. Good. There was a wall about five feet away from him.

"Moyashi, my back is killing me. Mind if I sit?" Kanda gestured vaguely.

Allen took the hint and nodded, much too quickly for Kanda.

"Mo. Ya. Shi. I am not angry with you, so could you stop acting like you're my servant or something?"

Allen's lips parted and before he could say anything, he was cut-off by a stern-looking Kanda, who gave a monosyllabic command, "Sit."

Kanda had sat, long legs stretched out before him, slightly open with his back leaning against the wall. Allen chose to sit right between his legs. Allen stubbornly stuck himself there and leaned back, against Kanda's chest, so that his head fit nicely under Kanda's chin. He didn't want to risk the exorcist going anywhere without him.

Kanda stiffened and drew his legs up when Allen plonked himself right there, head against his chest. Any other man would have done the same. He was merely surprised, that's all. Gradually, Kanda began to relax and let the back of his knees fall back to the floor again.

"Moyashi, when did you first use your arm?"

The question was fueled on by his furor of curiosity. He simply let it get the better of him and said the question.

At this, Allen tensed, Kanda could fell it, feel the rise and fall of his moyashi's chest getting quicker.

_Oh God, was he going to cry?_

Unable to resist himself, Kanda snaked his arms around his moyashi so that his right hand was on Allen's left shoulder while his left other arm was draped across moyashi's navel.

"You don't have to answer it."

"No. Kanda asked, so I'm answering it."

Kanda resisted the urge to growl at the boy's naivety. Moyashi cleared his throat and he kept silent, waiting for him to speak.

"It's rather vague, since it's been years. I was born with this deformed arm, and…and my parents abandoned me. I still remember, that day, it was winter," a smile touched Allen's face. His eyes were glazed, he was sinking into the happiness of one of the few delightful memories of his childhood.

Kanda could feel the body against his, in a relaxed and _very_ vulnerable position.

_He was just a kid after all._

"That day when Mana found me. It was snowing, I was sitting at the edge of the pavement and it was so, very cold."

Allen huddled closer to Kanda unconsciously, if it was any more possible. Trying to give the boy his reassurance, Kanda tightened the arm around moyashi's waist. Allen continued, seemingly unaware of his surroundings as he immersed himself in that far and faded memory of his.

"I was rubbing my bare hands together, then suddenly, a pair of gloves presented themselves, right in front of me. I looked up, and I saw a very tall man. He was wearing a tall black hat with a two tailed coat, like a magician. He was like a father. He took me in and raised me, even though he saw my mechanical arm. He took me on his travels around the world. He taught me stunts and tricks. He was in a sense, a nomad. On his travels, I saw many things. Things that were new to me. Back when I was with my parents, they locked me up in the cellar, declaring that my arm was too hideous for anybody to see. They hid me away when there were visitors. I didn't mind, I didn't talk much then. But…it was so cold…and dark in that damp place. I never saw much of the outside world. I never had the chance to go out of the house, save the time…the time they threw me out," a forlorn frown broke out on his moyashi's face. Moyashi closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, there was an inexplicable spark in his eyes.

"But it all changed, it all changed when Mana found me. I saw the circus. I saw the magic tricks magician's from all over the world did. I learnt how to do stunts. Somersaults, twists and turns. Once, I fell, and Mana didn't help me up. I was panting heavily, we had walked for a very long time. Mana had long legs. I had to take five to account for his one single step."

Kanda's lips quirked up. This was the first time he had seen his moyashi so genuinely annoyed over such a simple thing.

—

_[flashback]_

"_Mana! Mana!" _

_Allen was squatting beside his foster father, trying to shake the barely moving body. He put one hand on the floor of the alley for balance, the other wrapped around Mana's shoulder, pushing back and forth the body curled on its side._

_Mana's hand stretched out, catching hold of Allen's wrist. With great difficulty and numerous heaves of his chest, Mana brought himself to his forearms so they were at eye level._

"_Allen…Listen to me, Allen. No matter what happens, never stop!"_

"_No Mana, I don't want you to die!"_

"—_No matter what, keep walking."_

_The small Allen with muddy brown hair shook his head, tears glistening in the moonlight._

"_Don't leave me alone!" _

_By now, tears were streaming down his cheeks freely, eyes overflowing with an aching fear and desperation. The stream of tears didn't stop, they kept coming, attacking his mind with a gnawing ferocity and realization. _

_He was going to lose Mana…_

_Mana's black bangs obscured his vision. That was good…He wouldn't know how to reassure the boy he loved without showing him his pain and grief without lying through his teeth. He didn't want to leave the boy all alone in this huge world too…He tightened his grip on Allen's wrist. That was all he could do now. He could only hope that the boy would keep walking, for now, that was all he could do._

"_Keep walking, Allen! As long as there's a breath left in your body!"_

_Mana stopped there, finding it harder and harder to breathe. He was already losing his vision of the grey slabs of the alleyway._

'_This is the end… Allen, keep walking.' Mana thought, falling prey to the embrace of death. Nobody could escape it. His just came a little sooner. _

_The grip on his wrist slackened and fell, onto the cold concrete floor._

"_Ma..Mana?" Allen asked tentatively, raising his gloved left hand to pat the locks of black before him, then he gave him a feeble push._

_The person he loved most didn't respond._

"_No…It's not true! Don't die! I don't want you to die!"_

—

_Allen was at the tombstone of Mana, kneeling in that childish way of his before Mana's grave. His foster father, the closest person he ever had, was now resting five feet beneath the soil he was kneeling on._

"_A good evening to you," a disgustingly nasal voice rang out, breaking the almost reverent silence within the graveyard._

_Allen raised his eyes, every hint of the dolour remaining there, unhidden. There, right beside a gnarled and ugly dead tree, was a fat man. The full moon was behind the man, casting an eerie glow over the mysterious and strange man before him._

_The man in front of him resembled a grotesque caricature of a Victorian gentleman; a rotund figure in cape and top hat, with an enormous grin that remained fixed even when he was speaking, and his eyes permanently hidden behind a pair of pince-nez spectacles, making his eyes hidden behind those scintillating glasses._

"_Shall I revive Mana Walker for you?"_

_By now, the fat man was behind the slab of tombstone, right hand resting on his chin in a mockingly thoughtful way. _

_Allen was not in the best state of mind to realize that he should be watching the fat man through wary eyes. All he needed was a flicker of hope to light that torch he laid away in the folds of his heart, specially for any hope, any hope at all for a miracle._

"_If you wish to, I need your help," the stranger said, all the while grinning, even when the boy offered him no response._

"_I need you, the one he loved most, to call out to him."_

_Breathlessly, Allen let the words slip out into the chilling night air._

"_Call Mana?"_

"_Yes, you can steal back your Mana from that hateful God!"_

_The man brandished his arm towards the blood-red sky that called out mockingly to him._

"_You…You can bring Mana back?" Allen asked in wonderment, the words of the man fully catching his attention now._

"_Now, you must call his soul back from the afterlife."_

_[end flashback]_

—

"The skeleton of Mana was there, right before my eyes. But that skeleton was…different, it was standing on its own in this…frame, with a helmet that went below the eye sockets. Picking myself up from the hard ground, I took five steps towards that strange skeleton. I cried out Mana's name, and upon that single word which left my lips, I let it all out. The anger, the confusion, the loneliness, the pain, the hatred, and most of all, the hope I was granted. A spark from the sky struck, onto that metallic helmet on Mana, then the skeleton burst into flames, bearing the very same colour as that spark. His name…his name was spelled out in red, right on the front of the helmet. The rest all happened in a blur…"

—

_[flashback]_

"_Mana…" Allen called out forlornly, as the skeleton came to live, starting with a tremor from the helmet._

"_A…llen."_

_The skeleton spoke, in a hushed whisper. Regaining his hope, Allen walked towards Mana, hands raised. He wanted to hold Mana's hand, ask him if it was all alright now._

"_How dare you!" _

_The skeleton creaked, leaning out of the frame._

"_How dare you make me a demon!"_

_Startled, Allen took a step back at this harsh, ragged sound that came from his beloved Mana._

"_I curse you, Allen!"_

_Allen never saw it coming. The skeleton raised a sharp pincer-like hand and lifted it, bringing it slicing back down upon the left eye of Allen._

_Stumbling, Allen pressed his gloved hand to the eye, trying to stem the stream of blood that was gushing out of that deep cut. It stung; it stung so badly. Why had Mana done that to him? He hadn't done anything wrong! Looking up at the skeleton that was once his foster father, Allen's heart was crushed. Was this what Mana was going to say? After he revived him? Blood and tears mingled, flowing down from between his gloved fingers, the diluted blood stained the glove a light crimson. For an instant, it would have looked like the little boy was in so much pain, crying tears of thick blood. _

_[end flashback]_

—

"My arm, it turned metallic. I was on the floor, dragged by my arm. It was scuttling, pulling me towards Mana. I…I tried to stop it, but it was too fast, I couldn't even control it. There was a strange green fire over the cross on the back of my hand. My left arm had, 'activated', and attacked the demon which harboured Mana's…skeleton…body, soul…whatever that was. Mana was on the ground then, defenseless. He was smoking a little, he raised his head and turned to me too late. I called out to him, I really did, I swear!" Allen cried out, anguish and a haunting guilt settling in his desperate voice.

Doing the thing that Kanda last thought he'd ever do, Kanda tightened his arms, leaning down and cooing soft, gentle words into the boy's right ear.

"Hush now, it's okay. I know, I know it hurt…You did try Allen, you did. I know you did," Kanda whispered reassuringly.

Allen felt the warm breath brush over the shell of his ear, and he shivered, not because he was cold, but because he knew he had Kanda now. As long as Kanda believed him, it'd be alright. It was fine if he had nothing now. Kanda was here.

Allen calmed down, taking a few calm breaths before he took a deep breath and continued on with his story.

—

_[flashback]_

"_Stop it! Don't kill Mana! Run! Run, father!"_

_He didn't move from his position, he continued to stay there, unflinching, although he saw the blow coming. And what hurt most of all were Mana's last words. He hadn't even tried to escape from that vulnerable sitting position._

"_Allen…" The claw raised itself, now hovering inches away from the skull of the one Allen loved so much._

"_I love you."_

_Allen's eyes widened. In horror, guilt, hurt, and most importantly, Allen hated himself, for what happened next. His hand absolutely refused to listen to him. _

"_Destroy me."_

_Damnit, Allen could see it, the shadow of Mana in his left eye, which now had three rings of red in it. The shadow seemed to speak to him, with the voice of the one he loved ever so much, telling him—_

"_Destroy me, Allen."_

_That decidedly evil claw brought itself down—_

"_Mana!" _

_That one scream tore through his throat._

_Why?! Why had Mana chosen to say that?! It would have been easier for Mana to hate him. Why?! Why had Mana said that he loved him? If he loved him, why did he have to be the one to tear through Mana with that hateful mechanical arm of his?! What was wrong with this sick, twisted game of life?! Why Mana?! Why him?!_

_Allen watched, tears already collecting in the corner of his eyes, the skeleton was torn through, crumbling to dust and carried away by the wind before they even touched the ground. In that second, Allen never felt like he had hated himself as much as he did now.  
_

_[end flashback]_

—

"Kanda, I wish, I wish I never had to be the one. I wish I never had to be the one to call Mana back, I wish I never had to be the one to kill Mana," Allen keened softly to himself, rocking back and forth, tears at bay.

Kanda made no sound as he stilled the boy's rocking with the rest of his head upon Allen's shoulder.

Feeling somewhat secure in Kanda's embrace, Allen ceased the soft keening and closed his eyes, breathing slowing down to a normal rate, head rested on Kanda's shoulder, so that their cheeks were pressed flush against each other. Kanda didn't seem to notice the intimacy of their actions, however. He was deep in thought.

_So the moyashi summoned his own foster father and then ended up killing him. Which explains the cursed left eye. Judging from the sound of it, it seems that his eye allowed him the ability to sense akuma, or rather, see something the akuma posess. The remnant of whatever's left of humanity in it. The soul. Whatever. Moyashi had also seen the Earl. Met him, so close too. _

Kanda's fingers curled in anger, anything, _anything_ could have happened to that five-year-old moyashi. And he wouldn't be sitting here between his legs, leaning against him now. The unfamiliar emotion made his chest constrict, leaving it painfully tight.

_Just what was going on? When the moyashi always elicited strange reactions from him. What was wrong with him?! This sh_—

Kanda felt a poke in the middle of his furrowed brows. Moyashi had turned around and was using an index finger to poke him. He couldn't get angry, not at a particularly cute moyashi staring so intensely at him. He opted for raising one eyebrow—it saved him the trouble of talking.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

The answer was habitual, he had honed an anti-social and sarcastic nature over the years at the Black Order.

"Liar. You always frown when you're deep in thought. And this spot," Allen poked that same spot between his eyes, "this spot, gets all wrinkly when you frown."

Kanda couldn't suppress a chuckle at the sight before him; Allen was facing him, practically sprawled over him, one hand on his chest while the other was hovering in the air, index resting between his eyes, and staring right into his eyes, a pair of bright silver eyes belonging to a moyashi wearing the most adorable indignant pout on his face.

The moment was ruined with a shout from outside.

"YUU NO PATSU!!!"

Kanda growled. There'd be hell to pay. Oh there _definitely _was.

_Yuu no patsu?! That baka usagi was going to die for this._

That annoying voice he could recognize from anywhere. Kanda made a move to stand up, then realized his _very _compromising position, with his moyashi straddling him like that. He'd never live to have peace if Lavi ever saw this. Kanda cursed.

"Moyashi, I think you need to get up, Lavi's coming around," Kanda muttered gruffly.

Allen understood immediately. He knew how…terribly **noisy** Lavi could get. Allen got up, but with the help of a not-so-grouchy Kanda.

Lavi barged into the training room, finding the two he was looking for. They were right there when he opened the door of the training room, waiting expectantly.

"Ahhhh, I was looking for you two!" Lavi exclaimed, looking past the fact that Kanda was giving a murderous aura.

"Really…? And I had the idea that you were calling just me, with a name that I have warned you not to use."

Looking past what Kanda said, since he had highly accurate sense of selective hearing, Lavi replied, "Oh, I knew the moyashi'd be with you, so I didn't call for him. And I doubt he'd have come if I was the one who called for him. Allen-chan only listens to everyone's dearest Yuu."

Kanda cleared his throat.

"Don't even think about changing the topic, baka usagi."

Kanda's hand rested on the hilt of Mugen.

Lavi winced and backed away immediately, blabbing, "Komui wants to see you in his office."

"Along with the moyashi of course," Lavi added, nodding at the boy hiding behind Kanda.

At this, Allen frowned and took a tiny step out, facing the red-head, "It's Allen, not moyashi!"

"Ehhhhh, but Kanda calls you moyashi too!"

Kanda cut him off swiftly, not wanting to be caught in another pointless conversation with the rabbit.

"That's different. For one, our intelligence already has a large disparity, going along with that, our privileges are different."

Lavi broke out in cold sweat. Kanda could be so mean and sarcastic sometimes.

Kanda motioned for Allen to follow him and the two were making a sprint towards Komui's office. Actually, technically, it was just Kanda sprinting. The moyashi was in his arms, the moyashi didn't know how to get to Komui's office, and to avoid all chances of Lavi catching up and deciding to ramble for a few hours just for sport, Kanda had resorted to carrying his moyashi and sprinting to Komui's office. Allen, on the other hand, didn't mind at all. Either way, he'd be with Kanda. Any other noise may jolly well be tuned out when he was with Kanda.

—

Kanda was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, left hand lazily holding on to his katana. They were already in Komui's office. Allen, of course, was not far from him. In fact, Allen had chosen to stick beside Kanda, taking his place on the wall as well.

Seeing the blue-haired exorcist's bored face, Komui cleared his throat nervously and began, resting his head on the back of his interlinked hands in that idiotic fashion of his as usual.

"Ahem, as you see, I mean, as you heard, I called you to the office."

Kanda snorted.

_Very like how the head would start a conversation—with the most redundant and unimportant detail first._

"Yesyes, as I was saying, I have called you here, along with our newest member, because the Vatican has already been informed of the addition of another exorcist to the Headquarters and they have requested for Allen-kun over here," Komui lowered his head solemnly, "to be sent out onto the field as soon as possible."

—

Kanda, was fuming mad, even though he didn't show it.

_He had very well caught on what the Vatican planned. By 'request', they simply meant that it was an order, and there'd be hell to pay if it wasn't seen to. By 'as soon as possible', they meant immediately. Trust the Vatican to play the good cop._

Kanda strode over to the desk, across the paper-littered room. Slamming his fists down onto the desk, Kanda bent low, so that he saw Komui at eye level.

"Moyashi has only been here for one and a half days. That's less than 48 hours. What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?!" Kanda hissed, fury rolling off him in waves.

Kanda was now royally pissed. Not. A pretty sight.

At this, Komui only lowered his head more, only to bring his dark ashmauve eyes up to fix Kanda a steeled look of his own. Or so one would think, if they hadn't known better. Kanda saw how his gaze wavered, laced with guilt and regret.

"I'm sorry…I really am. But the Vatican's orders, I'm…really sorry_—_

Kanda turned away, putting an abrupt stop to Komui's plea.

—

_Goddamnit. Goddamnit, how he hated that gaze, that helpless look, that silent cry of anguish. Komui was, after all, just the supervisor in the Headquarters, he like all the rest of the members of the Black Order, were forced on, a lonely puppet dancing a destructive tale on the stage he'd been chained to. _

_Mere tools playing on this sadistic and twisted game as counters, this ruthless battle to exterminate the Akuma and destroy the Noahs, extinguish the Earl of Millenium. What a pathetic Order. It wasn't Komui's fault, and he knew it. He knew it too damn well._

—

"Che. Consider it done. Moyashi is going out onto the field on one condition, that is, if I go along with him on the mission."

Komui brightened up immediately. He had been anticipating that, he called Kanda here to get Kanda to go on the mission, and hopefully, finish the mission by himself, so that Allen-kun was protected and ultimately safe from harm.

"Of course! I trust you'll take care of Allen-kun's well-being then? Alrightttttt, so, the two of you can run along for dinner now. I'm afraid I have to see Allen-kun here again after your meal, I need to bring him to see Hevlaska before his mission. Everything will be packed and ready for you to go as soon as Hevlaska is done with Allen-kun over here. I'll be sending a Finder with the two of you of course. It will be a short mission; taking a week at the most."

Komui fumbled around all over his messy, paper-strewn, cobweb-attracting desk for the folder with the details. Finally, Komui indulged in a moment of triumph at having succeeded in laying his hands on the file, away from the evil clutches of the horrid papers that threatened to hide away all his important documents on the table. Komui opened the file and scanned his eyes down the front page.

"Ahhhh, yes, there is an abnormal rate of Akuma activity in this town in southern Italy… It seems highly likely that Innocence is at work here. The Akuma have taken notice and are targeting it. Proceed with all haste to the scene, destroy the enemy, and capture the Innocence. You'll have to read the manuals on the way for the specifics. That's all."

Already walking towards the door, Kanda stopped right before the doorway, muttering a, "thank you". That left the supervisor hugging the black folder to his chest and gaping, jaws slack at the place where the cold exorcist had been just a moment ago. Sure, he had tried to stand up for them, but well…he wasn't expecting such a nice comment from Kanda. It was _almost_ as good as hearing that Lenalee wouldn't get married for another 5 years or more.

—

Allen didn't get what that conversation was all about, but he had enough sense in him to follow the blue-haired exorcist quickly out of the room when the conversation came to a close. Deciding that now wasn't the best time to ask his savior any question, since he could almost feel the aura that reeked of displeasure on what— he couldn't quite place his thumb on. Allen made a mental reminder to ask the exorcist later. Allen was still spacing out until he bumped into the back of…of…something warm—

_Kanda._

Naturally bowing his head down and opening his mouth to spurt out apologies, Allen was stopped by a face bending down to his then inching closer and closer. Surprised, Allen made no attempt to escape, only blinking in confusion at the man before him.

—

Kanda sighed.

Damnit. He needed to explain the whole exorcist-life thing to the moyashi, but having such an adorably confused expression was not, _not_ helping him to find the right words to say in the least.

Turning suddenly away and instead just leaning against the wall of the corridor, Kanda slid down to sit on the floor, something he wouldn't normally do. But his mood now wasn't exactly normal either, he was tired out and still largely annoyed and partially angry with the irresponsible orders of the Vatican. Allen, sensing that Kanda had something to say, whether it was to him in particular or not, happily took his place between Kanda's legs again, the exact same position they were in within the training room. Kanda's eyes barely registered his surprise and he started to talk.

"It all started about a hundred years ago, with the discovery of a certain Cube. It will get rather confusing, and you'll understand it in time, so I'll move on to Innocence instead. Innocence is a strange substance that was left by an ancient civilization. There are currently 109 fragments, or Innocence as you may call it, scattered around the world. Exorcists, are accommodators, people who are suitable to fuse with the Innocence and synchronize, thus gaining the ability to wield and use the power it holds. Akuma are made from dark matter, which is infused with the soul of a dead person, who'd been brought back by a loved one. The Akuma then kills the one who brought it back. So it really wasn't your fault when you killed Mana. It was instinct, your Innocence was made to kill these Akuma. People with innocence become exorcists, and they help destroy these things, so that the person who controls them can't destroy humanity. There is a waging war against the Millennium Earl, the man you met at Mana's grave, who intends to destroy humanity with his army of Akuma, weapons created from the souls of the deceased when their loved ones curse God for their loss. This place we are in, the Black Order, scours the world for all 109 fragments, which have been washed away during the Great Flood, and for people who can use anti-Akuma weapons, the Innocence in its weaponized form. These people, called Exorcists, are able to effectively fight against and destroy the Akuma. One Innocence, referred to as the "Great Heart" will assure their victory. However, the Earl is also looking for the Innocence and the Heart with the intent to destroy them. Innocence takes the form of two types. One is parasitic, like yours, which actually dwells inside its user. Mine, however, is an equipment type. It takes the form of an external weapon, Mugen. The usagi and Lenalee, both of them have equipment type Innocence. Usagi uses a hammer. Lenalee uses Dark Boots. Parasitic types are actually very rare," Kanda added, casting the half-turned moyashi a fond look.

Allen took in all this with slow nods and furrowed brows. It was a good summary, but nonetheless, it _was_ a mild overload of information. As if guessing moyashi's thoughts, Kanda ruffled his white locks and muttered, "You just have to know why you're here and what you're here for." Simple as they were, those words came out a lot more reassuring than Kanda had expected and moyashi smiled, turning so that his back was once again resting comfortably on Kanda's chest.

"I think we should be at the cafeteria now. It's getting late. You still have to go meet Hevlaska after you're done."

At that, Allen raised his head questioningly. Kanda didn't notice and merely tugged moyashi along with him to the cafeteria.

—

Once again, Kanda found himself in a peculiar position. Lenalee had gone on a mission alone, or rather, was supposed to, but Komui, being the sister-complex brother that he was, had insisted that the Apprentice Bookman go with Lenalee. Moyashi was sitting as close as he could manage, to him, eating the same thing as him, even trying to use chopsticks like Kanda. It would have made a pretty cute scene if anybody actually turned to take a look at them—

people knew better than to stare at Yuu Kanda…when he was having soba. Because that was apparently the time when he was in the best mood and must NEVER be disturbed. Of course, that rule doesn't apply to a certain usag and the wielder of Dark Boots.

Kanda frowned at the moyashi sticking to his side as if he couldn't get close enough. Without a word, Kanda stepped away from the table and made his way to Jerry, the large and weird cook with disgusting, of course, that was pretty much everybody's opinion, bubblegum-pink hair and a kanji sign "愛" on his back. Kanda growled. He didn't know what moyashis usually ate. He called the first Japanese food which came to mind.

"Mitarashi dango. Two servings."

Jerry animatedly turned to look Kanda fully in the eye, comically letting his jaw drop while he used his index, thumb and middle finger to remove his hilarious sunglasses from the bridge of his nose.

Kanda hated awkward situations as such—another good reason for him to talk less.

"Che. Do it," Kanda narrowed his eyes dangerously, "unless you're really keen to find out how Mugen feels like…_against your throat."_

—

Jerry recovered his senses, closing his jaws with an unsightly 'clack' and a complete grin.

_Oh yes, he knew how rare it was, for the all high-and-mighty to ask for something other than soba or tempura. Something sweet at that too! Oh, this has got to be the greatest day of his life._

—

Kanda barely waited for 4 seconds before two servings of mitarashi dango were placed ceremoniously before him.

'Che.'

Kanda wasn't one to say thanks, and that was all the encouragement Jerry needed for the rest of his _life_.

Kanda sat back down where he was, facing Allen's panicky face.

"Che. I wasn't planning to go anywhere. You have parasitic type Innocence. And you're fifteen. Naturally you need something more than soba. And if my infallible logic doesn't escape me, moyashis like sweet things," Kanda smirked at his moyashi's current pouting face.

Allen opened his mouth, forming the start of a word—

Before he closed it again.

Annoyed and like hell curious, Kanda leaned down, awaiting the moyashi to say what he wanted to. Allen shifted closer to the exorcist, before murmuring. "I'll eat it if Kanda eats it too."

Kanda's back immediately stiffened, and he stoically straightened up.

_What? They boy wanted him to eat that…that __**thing**__? No way in hell._

Allen stared persistently at Kanda, eyebrows knotting, as if willing Kanda to pick up his chopsticks and eat those…things which he had gotten for him. Kanda's lips were drawn into a tight grimace.

"No."

Allen started glaring—he learnt this wonderful action from his savior. Kanda resisted the urge to guffaw at the moyashi's epic failure at glaring. He was doing a pretty bad job out of it. Firstly, his height implemented nothing of intimidation, while his usual pout was still present in the glaring-attempt, which only succeeded in making him look cuter than ever. His eyebrows were furrowed in the funniest way possible, hell it wasn't even serious enough. Moyashi looked like he had drawn a make-shift caterpillar above his eyes.

Kanda allowed a small smile to pull its way through to his face.

_Damn it, he was getting soft. Thoughts of guffawing for god's sake! Yuu Kanda did not, most certainly _not_…guffaw._

"Moyashi, eat."

Allen lowered his head by an inch. He really didn't want Kanda to get angry, but he was fine eating soba just like the exorcist, so why did he have to eat something that Kanda obviously didn't usually eat? No, he had decided, he wasn't going to eat it.

Kanda's lips curved upwards in a fractional hint of a smirk.

"Moyashi, if you don't eat it, I'll tell the Head Nurse that you're not eating well and need to stay at the Infirmary. She'll probably make you stay there for a week or two," as if that wasn't enough, Kanda went on, "I rarely go to the Infirmary because of injuries."

Allen widened his eyes in horror.

_Two weeks with Kanda not even close to him? What if Kanda went away from this place before he's out of the horrible white space? No. Kanda…Kanda, Kanda._

Allen cast his eyes down in resignation, biting back the urge to whine, although Kanda did notice that the moyashi's left hand was now gripping on tightly to the corner of his exorcist coat.

Right now, Kanda was, for the first time in his life, feeling a twinge of guilt. He hadn't meant to frighten the boy so, but he had no other choice but to do it to make sure that moyashi ate enough. Feeling bad, Kanda swiftly picked up one dango with his chopsticks and brought it an inch to the moyashi's mouth. Shoulders slumped in resignation, Allen opened his mouth wide, closing it with a snap. Kanda had the sense to pull his chopsticks away before his moyashi's teeth cracked and broke off. Chewing albeit slowly, Kanda saw the boy's face lighting up when he swallowed the dango.

_Good, so moyashis did like sweet things after all._

The rest of the meal was finished in silence, with occasional warm smiles from a certain moyashi to a blue-haired exorcist.

—

They were sitting in the office, waiting for Komui to bring Allen to see Hevlaska before their mission.

"Yes, yes, I hope you've both had a good dinner before your mission? Then, alright, Allen-kun, I'll bring you to see Hevlaska—

Allen interrupted, for the first time, "Who's Hevlaska?"

Kanda arched his brow at that.

_At least the moyashi was starting to talk. Talking was important, especially if it meant it was a way of communication for someone so easily hurt like moyashi…_

Of course, Kanda conveniently dismissed the fact that almost all his injuries were acquired to save his comrades, although he'd never admit it. And that he didn't talk much. Really, the rabbit just interprets his 'che' in whichever way that suits him, resulting in the loss of a few strands of his red hair.

"Weeeell, Hevlaska has been part of the Black Order since its establishment. She is completely enveloped by her Innocence, which seems to remain invoked all the time. She is able to touch Innocence and determine its synchronization rate and hidden potential, with her…umm…tentacles. Any Innocence recovered from missions is kept within her body, which has 109 holes for each, until an accommodator is found. Generals, whom you will know about in time, are the ones who travel around the world to look for Innocence and accommodators for the Innocence. So yes, we'll be going down to Hevlaska's hall, which is in an underground basement. All accommodators have to get their synchronization rate determined before going for their first mission."

By now, Allen had round eyes, he was very much intimidated by this 'Hevlaska', which was obviously not human, with tentacles and holes and a hall in an underground basement to live in. Allen looked up at the blue-haired exorcist on his right.

Answering his thoughts, Kanda said, "Che. Baka moyashi, I'm not allowed down there. Hevlaska is only visited by this idiot head and the accommodator involved."

Komui nodded in agreement, head bobbing up and down wildly, purple hair bouncing on its ends.

Shaking his head fervently, Allen said stubbornly, "Kanda."

"Butbut, he can't go!"

"Then I won't go too."

Sensing the boy's seriousness when he said it, Komui sighed, "but Kanda can't go with you. It has to be you and me."

Allen stood his ground, torso half-hidden behind Kanda.

Kanda wasn't exactly glad to be at the centre of attention, or the object of this pointless conversation. He was being treated like air when he was virtually smack in the middle of the two.

"Oi, Komui. I don't care what you want to do. But if you delay this mission further, I will personally cut your head off with Mugen."

Defeated, Komui wrung his hands and chewed one thumb for a few seconds before turning to face Allen.

"I suppose Kanda can come with you."

Hearing this, Allen broke out into a smile. He wasn't going anywhere without this Kanda, especially to see this scary _thing_ in this scary _place_.

—

The platform was a strange thing. It was a vertically inverted pyramid with a square base all on its own, hovering in the air. The three of them stepped onto the platform, going further and further into the darkness below. When it became too dark to see, the platform glowed a funny cyan. It was Kanda's second time on the platform, but for Allen, it was a first, so Allen stuck close to Kanda, behind Komui all the while, not very pleased with the darkness and dim cyan glow. The platform slowed and stopped altogether less than half a minute later, and several beams of light shone down to light up the place.

Turning to face Allen, Komui said, "Now then, show your worth."

And by his words, a pair of metallic claws with segmented fingers enclosed themselves around Allen from behind, catching both Kanda and Allen unawares.

Kanda gave a 'che'. Hevlaska had to look at the boy's Innocence after all. But that didn't mean he liked it when he was caught off-guard anyway.

One translucent claw went around Allen waist while the other tilted his chin upwards, bringing Allen into the air. Allen made a strangled sound, _what was this thing in front of him?!_

From what Allen could make out, the thing before him was female. More than half its face was covered by strange snaking convex lines from her face, from the centre of her face, a little away from the edges of her nose.

"I-I-Innocence."

Snaking translucent tube-like tentacles appeared and wove into his left hand and those tubes seemed to be extracting something from his hand, bulges forming and moving into Hevlaska's body. Veins pulsed on the sides of Allen's face.

'What do you think, Hevlaska? Does his cross suit your tastes?" Komui asked, completely unaffected by the Allen-kun's horrified face.

A tentacle moved along his collarbone, around his neck. Allen was unable to move. The claw which had been around him was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was wrapped tightly within those tentacles.

_What is this? It's disgusting…it feels like something's touching my very core… _

Allen looked down to the platform beneath his dangling legs. Komui was idly standing, starign up at him. He was getting scared by this Hevlaska creature holding him in the air. His arm, it was starting to hurt.

_Kanda…Kanda…_

Allen's eyes found Kanda—

"Kanda…Kanda!"

"Calm down, I am not your enemy."

Hevlaska brought Allen closer and closer to her forehead, until they were touching. A bright star appeared from that contact point and spun through the air. A buzzing resonated through Allen's ears. He was very sure now, he didn't like this thing holding him in the air, neither did he like someone so close in his face. The buzzing only added on to his discomfort, making him struggle.

—

Kanda was standing on the platform, staring at moyashi worriedly. Moyashi had called his name, but other than the fact that he seemed a little edgy, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. Maybe moyashi was just unfamiliar with Hevlaska. All exorcists went through that phase, getting their synchronization rates determined by Hevlaska.

"Two percent…

Sixteen percent…

Thirty percent…

Fifty-three percent…

Eighty-three percent…"

Hevlaska pulled her head away from Allen, a tentacle glowing on its end now resting on his palm.

"It seems that the most you are able to synchronize with your weapon is eighty-three percent."

The glowing faded and the tentacle removed itself from the open palm. Allen was still staring at Hevlaska, a mixture of shock and caution in his eyes.

"Synchronize…?"

"It is a measure of your ability to merge with your weapon. The lower the synchronization rate is, the more chaotic is its activation, and the more dangerous it is for its bearer."

With that, Hevlaska lowered Allen back down to the ground he was on.

"I did not intend to startle you."

Allen watched the tentacles shimmer slightly and draw back, away from him. Stumbling slightly, Allen found his favourite spot beside Kanda, earning himself a soft 'che' with no malice in it.

"I merely wished to feel your Innocence and know it."

"Know my Innocence…" Allen mumbled.

"Allen Walker, in a dark future from now, your Innocence will give birth to a great destroyer of time."

Allen blinked, confused.

A clapping sounded from Allen's right and Komui was there, "I don't know what that means, but well done! Hevlaska's predictions are often right, you see. Oh my, you've got plenty of potential!"

Allen glared at the head.

"Oh my, all new members have to have their Innocence inspected. Those are the rules!"

Allen just glared more intensely in response. Chuckling nervously at the murderous look Kanda now shared him, Komui tapped a few keys and waved a goodbye to Hevlaska before allowing the platform to rise back up to ground level again.

—

"Nownow, you're all set to go on the mission, sooooo, bye!"

Komui strode insanely away, only to skid and halt. He turned back and look straight at Allen.

"Ahhhh, how could I forget? Allen-kun, you need an exorcist's coat! Now, if you would please, follow me to my office. I've already had Reever prepare it and leave it there!"

Allen looked at Komui apprehensively, darting a quick look at Kanda. Much to his relief, Kanda only looked on ahead and walk towards the direction of Komui's office. Good, at least he knew it was safe to go. That head seemed crazy enough to chew a sock while sleeping.

The three found themselves in the office again, with Komui holding up a brand new exorcist coat and holding it to Allen's shoulders, seeing if he had guessed Allen's size correctly. It looked pretty okay.

_Of course, he was the one and only genius in the Order, his guesses were smart and accurate! Hah!_

Komui shook the coat, bringing it above and around Allen's small frame. Seeing Komui's hands lower the coat onto his shoulders, the effect was immediate. Allen widened his eyes and ducked, turning nimbly and tactfully hiding behind Kanda once again.

"Ehhhh, Allen-kun! What's wrong with the new coat? You don't like it? Kanda wears it too, you know."

Moyashi shook his head vigorously, clutching on to Kanda's exorcist coat. Kanda, confused, also thought the problem laid with the coat. He shot moyashi a quizzical look laced with genuine concern.

"Don't…don't touch."

Kanda tilted his head almost imperceptibly in understanding.

_Che, so that's why the moyashi panicked._

Swiping the coat from the dumb-founded head, Kanda swiftly threw the coat around the moyashi's shoulders, pausing in the middle of the action; waiting patiently for his moyashi to put his hands through the sleeves. Allen looked at Kanda gratefully, giving another of his brilliant smiles.

"Che."

The coat was a little too large for the moyashi, but the coat looked like the smallest size available—exorcists didn't usually come in such a small package such as Allen. The sleeves went two and a half inches below his wrists, leaving only his fingers showing from the cuff of the coat. Kanda had yet to turn away from the moyashi until Komui successfully, but unintentionally nonetheless, broke him out of his trance.

"Oh dear! It's getting so late! It'll be a few more hours to dinner-time. I trust you've both had dinner? Yes. Run along now! I need to make sure my Lenalee-chan is eating well!"

With that, Kanda found himself, alone, in Komui's office with a _very_ edible moyashi in an oversized coat beside him. Pulling his eyes away from the _very_ edible moyashi, Kanda dragged Allen out by the cuff of his sleeve.

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* * *

Hello there! Anyone care to tell me why I made changes and they put "changes successfully saved" but I wait fro days and the changes don't appear? Am I supposed to upload the file again or something?

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Hey readers! Neko Serena pointed out that I didn't put up the translations for the jap. words. So sorry! It didn't occur to me. I'll make a mental note to put up the translations in future.

I shall start with uhhh...sorry, I have to scroll up to check first. ^^;;

Okie! Starting with the easy ones:

usagi- rabbit

moyashi- beansprout

katana- japanese sword, if it wasn't obvious enough T_T

Yuu no patsu- chopped hair Yuu

I'm not sure if I used this, but whatever: wari means sorry. Sumimasen is a more polite term. And when "summan" is used, it's actually informal, like...slang if you want to think of it that way, it's derived from sumimasen.

FYI, Mugen in Kanji is 无限, which literally means "without a limit". In short, Unlimited.

I'll probably use this in the later chapters, so: Ki ni shinai. Informal. Again. It means don't worry.

If there's anything I missed out, tell me! ^^


	3. Left

A/N: Allen here is an accommodator since he was found, and he hasn't been able to control his Innocence, yesh, all the way till he was fifteen. But I didn't really fill the gap from the part Mana died. ^^;; So forgive me if the setting and characterization is a little confusing.

**Extra note: Once again, the translations are down there. Please refer NOW. Bec. there's going to be Portuguese. Inspired by Tyki's origins if you get what I mean. Oooolala. So yeah, scroll down! **

Extra note2: Yeahyeah, I excluded the use of golems. They were just _too_ convenient ya knowww. If I was gonna make Kanda suffer a little, ohwells, I suppose golems are a nono. ^^

Extra note3: If you've noticed, whoever's is currently in action, meaning talking, fighting, watching, wtv, the language used, even when not the person's thoughts, tend t sound like the person. Like when it's mainly about Kanda's moving from one place to another, I use moyashi when talking about Allen. Then when the finder is the one who's watching and being the important person around, our favourite pairing is called Master- and Master-. Yeahhh, if it confuses you, drop me a note!

Warning: This is a Yullen fic, I'm sure you know that, and if you're here looking for lemons or sth, HAH! You'll be terribly disappointed. There will definitely be an overload of sugar and fluff, but that's all. The most you'll see is an increase in weight on the weighing scale! ^^

Disclaimer: Yeshhh~This place is called _Fan_fiction for a reason. These characters do not belong to me and never will. They belong to Katsura Hoshino.

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--

They were on the train, in a rather comfortable compartment. Allen refused to budge when Kanda tried to nudge him over to the opposite seat, planting himself firmly beside Kanda until the blue-haired exorcist gave a final 'che' and gave up. Allen gave a triumphant smile, the first Kanda had ever seen on the boy's face.

It had only been a few hours before moyashi fell asleep, on his shoulder. Eyes softening, Kanda brushed the white bangs from that face, palm resting on the side of moyashi's face, allowing his thumb tracing the red pentacle lightly.

_Che. Only a baka moyashi like him would let his guard down like that as an accommodator._

Allen leaned into the contact, enjoying the touches of the gentle hand.

'He's too cute for his own good,' Kanda thought, adjusting moyashi's coat when Allen snuggled closer. He really should put on some weight. He'd catch a cold easily if he didn't build up his immune system.

—

They were already in southern Italy. A day had passed and their finder, Toma, had already checked out the town, saying that there was an abnormal rate of akuma activity, and the source of the problem, the townsfolk believed that it was the helmet in the Town Square.

"It seems that the helmet was from a century back, a soldier's helmet in the Great Italian War. There's a tradition here in the town. The townsfolk retain one helmet after every war, and the previous helmet would be burned. Due to the age and history behind each helmet, bandits from other towns occasionally came and attempt to steal the helmet. It seems that the previous helmet was kept in the middle of the Town Square for over two centuries, but a bandit had swapped it for a normal old helmet. The townsfolk believe that they found out too late; the fake helmet was in the Helmet Burning Ritual, a sacred and thus solemn ceremony they hold each time a succeeding helmet appeared. They think it's a curse from whichever soldier who bore the helmet in the previous war. The succeeding helmet was by accident lost years ago and a boy at playing at the banks came across it by chance. That was how it was brought to the Town Square and the ceremony took place two days after that, which is exactly one week ago. Then strange happenings started. People started disappearing. Those in charge of guarding the new helmet were killed. They vanished and their family members started vanishing too," Toma explained to Kanda.

Allen was beside Kanda, listening to the tale with interest.

"Che. So we're here because of a helmet? Which supposedly has Innocence?"

When he received no answer, Kanda continued, "Trust that idiot to send me on missions as such," Kanda huffed, not unlike a five-year-old who was denied his candy.

"I'll check the outskirts of the town to see if there is any more information. You can stick to the central areas."

Toma smiled beneath the bandages.

_Master Kanda wasn't unpleasant. People just assumed he was just because he talked less. And 'che' wasn't such a bad thing to say. It saved time listening to useless rambles when you can just get a direct answer from a 'che'. And he had seen, oh yes, he had, how Kanda always looked out for Master Walker, whom he affectionately labeled "moyashi". Those swift eyes of well-trained and highly experienced exorcist, sweeping across each foreign place, concluding each location into escape routes and threats. He knew very well that Master Kanda was looking out for him, as a finder, to stay in more conspicuous areas so that there were less chances of him getting attacked. Master Kanda looked out for people secretly, putting up that convincing façade that he wasn't one to care about his comrades when he actually did. A lot._

Toma said nothing and gave a brief nod, moving off to the town central.

—

Allen was alongside Kanda through the thick trees and leaves in his face, running almost just as fast, if not for a few stumbles and stops when he got too tired. They soon reached clearing, seeing a dilapidated hut almost in the midst of nowhere. Glancing at Kanda for affirmation, Allen took a few steps closer, hands brushing the ticklish stray weeds around him. Kanda followed Allen, seemingly preferring to stay behind the moyashi.

Knocking hesitantly on the old, wooden door, they were soon greeted with a worried man in his mid thirties, who flung the door wide open and started babbling all on his own.

"—oh, _thank god_, mayor, I was wondering when you'd take the creepy thing away—"

The man stopped short when he saw that the people before him were not whom he had just addressed. Breath quickening, the man tried unsuccessfully to shut the door. The man was quick, hell he was bloody _strong_. Being quick to act, Kanda had wedged his foot between the door and the doorframe, preventing the door from shutting. The man was now frantic, fearful eyes staring at the intimidatingly, strikingly tall and beautiful man before him from the darkness within the hut.

Allen pouted immediately at the look the man gave Kanda. Nobody should be admiring Kanda like that. He knew that Kanda wasn't your everyday guy that you see on the streets, but he just didn't like it, the way somebody other than himself was admiring Kanda's face. Allen added a glare to his pout.

Kanda hadn't noticed the exchange. Well, not really exchange. More like a one-sided exchange from the moyashi to the man, the man to him. His whole head was swarming from the pain of his wedged foot. His years of discipline was the only thing that kept him from verbally assaulting the foolish man and trampling that darn door down.

_Damn, that guy hiding behind the door was strong._

"We're not here to hurt you, we need to ask you something. So open the door," Kanda gritted out, not at all pleased that the man was still intentionally applying as much pressure as he could onto the door, making his foot more painful than it already was.

Hell, the idiot of a man had even gone as far as to lean on the door.

"…Do it. Or I'll kick this door down, I swear."

Resignation washed over the round face before the two exorcists as he pulled the door ajar for the exorcists to come in. Once they were safely within the confines of the dark hut, he furtively stuck his head out, checking to see if there were other unwanted presences that followed before shutting the door altogether.

The man graciously sat himself on a recliner with a tired sigh, vaguely gesturing to the chairs opposite him. Taking this as a non-verbal cue, Kanda took his seat on the chair, folding his arms, waiting for the man to say something. The man buried his face in his palms, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward with a slightly bent back.

Allen unceremoniously plonked himself in Kanda's lap. He was going to make sure the man could see his displeasure if the man said or did anything he didn't like. Kanda straightened up, startled. Growling softly, Kanda picked the moyashi up by the waist and set him down on the chair _beside_ his.

_This is serious. Moyashi's distracting enough being unable to activate his Innocence. If the man was to so much as do anything funny, how was he going to protect his moyashi when Allen sat right before him, being the easiest target in history?_

Allen pouted, not at all understanding why Kanda hadn't allowed him to sit there.

_But if Kanda wanted him to sit there, then sit there he would._

Allen's face broke out in a smile again.

Raising a wary head up, the man asked bluntly, "What do you want?"

"Firstly, I want to know about the helmet this town is gone crazy about. And about the strange occurrences that came along with it. Secondly, if my hearing isn't impaired, which I am _positive_ it is not, you are perhaps, hiding something here," Kanda replied calmly, sweeping his gaze about the tiny and dim hut.

There was an old-looking bed with two think mattresses on it, with no covers. The hut was in a run-down condition, but surprisingly tidy. There was a dining table, for four and a simple stove with the basic utensils scattered on the table. Other than a sprig of weeds that sprung from one damp corner of the hut, there really wasn't anything faintly interesting here.

"And I suppose you are travelers?"

Kanda gave a curt nod.

The man nodded back, "saw from your clothes that you weren't from around here. The helmet, you say?"

"It is a tradition here to retain one helmet from each war that has taken place. It is an honour, hence the need for a sacred ritual to burn the preceding helmet so that a new one can take its place as the treasure of the town. The previous helmet, it was swapped by bandits for a fake instead. Unfortunately, that was not realized until the fake was burned," he paused.

Kanda only grunted. There was something in him that told him not to break the silence. True enough, the man took a deep breath and continued.

"On each succeeding helmet is a metal tab to be collected when it becomes preceding helmet. But the previous helmet, we couldn't find the tab."

—

_[flashback]_

_The men in white robes muttered a string of barely audible words that came out in a hum, sealing the ritual of the succeeding helmet as the current Guardian._

"_Sobre essas palavras antigas, não selo o elmo ardente antes de mim, o Guardião. Ommmm," the man ended solemnly, put the ceremony to a close with the words that had just left his lips._

_The man closed his eyes peacefully, letting his mind rest after the tedious and traditional ceremony. Gasps and murmurs rang through the silence, making every word impossibly clear and loud. The man's eyes fluttered open at a hushed whisper._

"_Oh no, woe has befallen us. Where is the tab? The tab!"_

_The man looked at where the helmet burned, the flame was still burning the gooey chunk of metal and rubber. But no shiny metal tab remained. The tab that they collected from each preceded helmet and kept in a pouch left in a mahogany box in possession of the church._

_The man's eyes widened in horror. There was going to be a price. The due respect hadn't been given as it should to the preceding helmet. The sacred ceremony had been completed upon a fake instead! Muttering away, the man did a chant, praying for the safety of the townsfolk and all that were innocent in this gigantic mistake._

_[end flashback]_

—

"Then the strange happenings started," the man snuck a glance at the two travelers.

"I suppose you already know of the happenings, by the looks of it."

Kanda gave a nod in reply.

"Well, then be off with you! There's nothing else you don't know about this curse now," the man grumbled.

"I remember I mentioned you were hiding something here?"

The man stiffened visibly.

Quaking slightly, the man started stuttering words, so low that Kanda barely caught wind of it, "I can't…no…can't…musn't know…mayor entrusted me…protect…protect and guard…sa—"

"Look here. I have no wish to intrude upon your household like this, but if you continue this foolish hiding of yours, I will have to take the helmet from you by force."

The man's face paled.

"Wh—what are you talking about? Th—there isn't any helmet here!"

"Oh, really? I had the impression that you were told to guard the helmet now resting under your bed in case the helmet starts releasing an unknown power and curse the whole town to its death."

The man shook his head, darting peeks at the bed, edging closer and closer to it. Kanda sighed. Gritting his teeth impatiently, Kanda had gotten to his feet, and a wobbly moyashi had done the same.

"We're exorcists from the Order and we can protect the town if you'd just hand the helmet over. We could take the curse away, as you, or the mayor believes it to be. You're scared of the thing aren't you? We could help you. It's very…_gallant_," Kanda had to force the word out since he wasn't one to give compliments, "of you to listen to the mayor and try protecting this town, but I think you know you may not be able to stop the curse if it does ever unleash itself upon the town, don't you?"

Head bowed low in defeat, the man's eyes softened. Shoulders hunching, the man turned his back to Kanda, walking to the bed and squatting to drag out the item hidden beneath his bed. When the man gingerly held the helmet out to Kanda. It was a Chalcidian helmet. Chalcidian took the basic form of the corinthian helmet, rounded the cheek guards and formed openings for the ears. Often made with ram heads embossed on the cheek pieces, Chalcidian's temple and forehead were decorated with relief lines.

"Why a Greek helmet? Why not Italian?" Kanda asked, strangely curious.

"Seems like the soldier was from Greece then," the man shrugged, "each helmet is different. This just happened to be the one retained."

Kanda nodded, examining the helmet, staring, long fingers tracing the intricate craftsmanship of the queer helmet. Allen was staring too, but not at the helmet. He was staring at Kanda's fingers.

_Kanda has long fingers. Pale too. My fingers _will_ become as long as his one day._

Allen pouted at this thought. How long would he have to wait before he was as tall as Kanda? He didn't mind the name moyashi so much, but that didn't mean he hadn't wanted to be as tall as Kanda.

Bowing slightly, Kanda took his leave as he stepped out of the house, helmet in one hand.

"Thank you."

The man nodded and smiled, watching the backs of the two retreating figures. He hadn't exactly liked the helmet, and he was glad that people stronger than him were to protect it now.

—

They were wandering about the town and found themselves in some ruins at near the outskirts of the town. It looked pretty much like the site Kanda had found Allen in. Kanda stopped, looking around.

These ruins resembled an arena. It looked like an amphitheatre, and judging by the magnitude of the torn down cement and half-collapsed stone walls, it could probably host at least some 40 000 people in it. Some debris of the round façade of the building was were strewn, littering the curved corridor-like ground they were on.

_Pink limestone. This was probably a rather well-known arena. War, perhaps? The building had a few traces of grime and lots of dust. Some dark trails which seem to be blood. Must have been here for decades at least. _

Feeling a dark sense of foreboding, Kanda looked to his side, checking if the moyashi was still there.

Allen was marveling at the clouds of dust and debris all around. His eyebrows were scrunched up in shrewd concentration, foot decisively pushing bits of rock and cement over. It was at times like this Kanda had the urge to chuckle out loud.

_No, he wouldn't and mustn't chuckle. He'd laughed too much since the moyashi's arrival. _

Thoughts snapping back to why he was checked on moyashi, Kanda widened his eyes, seeing that the moyashi's left eye had turned black with three rings of red in it. Allen had felt the change too. Looking back at Kanda, Allen's breathing became slightly frantic.

"Kanda, I can see it; those souls crying. They're in chains…I see it…in a weird fire. It's coming from…from up there!"

Kanda knew even before the moyashi had said it. He looked up at the sky. Sure enough, the sky had darkened, akuma had started closing in from a good 200 metres away.

A shout came from Kanda's right. Kanda turned and looked.

"Master Kanda, I've finally found you! Akuma have started to swa_—_"

It was the finder, Toma.

"I know."

Kanda turned away, only to turn back to Toma when he heard what the persistent finder had said.

"There's Innocence! At the Town Square! It was the new helmet! They had people guard it. I managed to get close under the pretence that I was sent by the church to check upon the helmet and make sure that it hadn't been swapped again. The helmet! It was in a case. There was a faint whirring sound coming from it when I went near enough to hear it. It was right in the helmet. I think it somehow fused itself with the helmet to avoid getting found by the townsfolk. I think it sensed the presence of exorcists and revealed its true form. Here, I retrieved it."

Kanda cursed. That was why there were so much akuma around. And it was also the reason why the people left to guard the new helmet were all involved in the happenings and either died or disappeared. Akuma.

_Damn, now there was two Innocence. One was enough trouble. And the moyashi and the finder had to be here with him too!_

"Find cover."

With those two authoritative words, Kanda and the two had already hidden themselves in the shadows of the half-collapsed structure. Moyashi had chosen to stick beside him as usual and the finder was directly opposite him, a good few metres away.

"Kuso! Akuma just had to come right after we retrieved the Innocence," Kanda muttered, taking a look at Toma and moyashi.

_No he was NOT worried. Of course he wasn't worried. Who cares about his moyashi and a finder? _Definitely_ not him._

Kanda cursed.

_Damn. But he was indeed worried. He was worried for the finder's safety, he was worried about his moyashi. Wait. When had it become 'my' moyashi?!_

Kanda cursed again, but for a completely different reason. He looked over to the finder one last time, and in silent agreement, they exchanged a look. Kanda sprang from where he was; hand already on Mugen's hilt, preparing to fend off any akuma attack.

Meanwhile, Toma had grabbed Master Allen and ran away from the pillar hiding them, away from danger, which was basically where Kanda was. Allen had noticed that, but allowed himself to be dragged away, knowing that he wouldn't be of much help even if he stayed.

_But…but he didn't want to leave Kanda. Not now. Not_ ever_. Yes, that was it. He was going to stay._

Allen resisted, looking back at Kanda, brandishing Mugen.

"Let's go, Mugen. Draw! Innocence, activate."

The akuma had started closing in on the exorcist. As if sensing the moyashi's thoughts, soulful cobalt orbs met silver ones.

Kanda mouthed a silent, meaningful, _'Go.'_at the finder, knowing how stubborn Allen could be.

The finder nodded, trusting Kanda's judgment. The moment Allen's wrist was free, he ran towards Kanda, crashing straight into his chest, narrowly avoiding Mugen.

"Baka moyashi."

Kanda gently but firmly pulled his moyashi away, telling him, "Hide behind the pillars for now."

Allen's eyebrows furrowed.

_Okay, that he could do._

The moment Allen was out of sight of the akuma, Kanda had engaged in the battle with the akuma.

The blue-haired exorcist clashed upon the level twos and ones, speed and agility on his part. Allen blinked rapidly, trying to keep Kanda and those strange firing monsters in sight. Kanda's skilled and tactful deflects and blows only served to make the fighting a merge of blurred colours.

It was fascinating, to say the least, when watching Kanda fight. It wasn't everyday a highly-skilled exorcist such as Kanda fought these much akuma. Allen could see it, with every slice, every swish made when the polished katana brought itself down, the akuma shells crumbling, falling apart while the souls from inside, no longer ugly, burning skeletons took their true form, how they were before they died, and floated upwards, serenity a blanket covering all of its kind. Yes, those souls were free, free from the chains that bound them unforgivingly within those pitiful shells of destruction.

Allen was getting worried, deathly afraid to put it more specifically.

—

The fight had continued for more than an hour now, and the akuma brought in by the two Innocence seemed intent on killing the exorcist before retrieving both Innocence. Toma was watched grimly, from the shadows where he hid, Master Kanda engaging in the vicious battle against the unrelenting akuma. He was already hoping, that the Innocence he had could bring the akuma's attention to himself rather than the exorcist-sama. But he knew Master Kanda wished for it to be this way. If he went out now and caught the unwanted attention of the akuma, all of Master Kanda's efforts would have gone to waste. Toma narrowed his eyes regretfully.

_Exorcists, they had to risk their lives for something that their kind wield, putting their lives on the frontlines, and Master Kanda being a fully responsible one that put consideration into a finder and a fellow comrade's safety. It was excruciating, seeing exorcists risk their lives for this supposedly little things part of the great war. _

Toma was resentful towards the higher-ups. Yes, the exorcists could be used as pawns in the game, sacrificed without hesitation to protect the arch-generals and the Vatican, yet the one with the title of knight is the one who is the safest, the Vatican. They issue orders and commands, uncaring of the risks of the exorcist dying. Yes, dangerous missions, while the most they could do, as finders, was to render a little bit of help to these uncomplaining pawns. What a bitter world.

—

Kanda panted, trying to intake a bit more oxygen, just a little more. These horde of akuma were too many in numbers. He was alone after all.

'Che. What are these useless thoughts? I've always been alone.' Kanda reminded himself harshly.

_But you've never encountered two Innocence at once without a comrade._

'Shut up.'

Kanda diverted his concentration and energy on what laid before him, instead of getting distracted by some stupid inner self.

"Kaichū: Ichigen [界蟲「一幻」, First Illusion: Hell's Insects]!"

Kanda released a small swarm of supernatural creatures. The creatures resembling insects that came from someplace that definitely wasn't human, burst forward devouring his opponents.

The next line of akuma had already taken the place of their several allies, firing and slashing at him, level ones and level twos alike.

Blood ran down from Kanda's many cuts and gashes as air painfully filled his lungs.

_Damn, so I guess the first illusion wasn't good enough. My lungs…they're failing me too?_

Taking a deep breath, and wracking a series of coughs from his body in the attempt, Kanda braced himself, katana horizontal, fingers moving along the katana again.

"Nigentou [二幻刀, Two Illusion Blades]!"

The second illusion covered the katana and scabbard in a coat of energy. Allen watched, eyes unable to take off the scene that unraveled before him. An energy blade had been created, making two impossibly sharp weapons in either of Kanda's hands, gripped strongly by those nimble fingers which he admired so.

Now the battle had become purely offensive, with an uncaring Kanda brutally slicing through anything that came his way in refined, graceful arcs.

—

In the next few minutes, Kanda had diminished more than four fifths of his opponent, leaving a gang of level two akuma fearfully dodging his attacks, escaping death by inches each time. The level twos left had huddled close together, no doubt plotting some stupid scheme to defeat him. Kanda snorted.

_As if they could._

Kanda looked back to the finder and the moyashi. Moving as swiftly as his condition granted him to, Kanda neared his moyashi, blades vanishing instantly, enabling him to place his large, warm hands on the moyashi's shoulders. Allen was close to tears now.

_Kanda had fought so hard and had dried blood caked over shallow cuts while blood still flowed and blossomed from the deeper lacerations, and he comes to find him? Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka! Wasn't Kanda worried about himself at all? Not in the least?_

Allen bit back the words he had, knowing that Kanda probably had something to say.

"Moyashi, there's something up with the level twos, I need you to stay here and don't move. I don't have a lot of time before they carry out whatever their scheming. Stay here."

Kanda had already closed his eyes, muttering something that sounded vaguely like, 'Tsuki no Hachisu', then drew a circle around Allen with his katana, which was now glowing a dim cyan at its tip.

"Stay here. I promise I'll be back, so stay here until I'm done."

Kanda had spared the moyashi a tiny smile, but the shadows clung to him, making it hard for the observing finder to tell whether he actually smiled. But it was fine, since moyashi saw it. Kanda was already advancing back towards the level twos, now more spread out than before. His eyes never left the level twos, but his mind was subconsciously drifting.

Kanda had never used Tsuki no Hachisu on anyone before, not on the finders, not on comrades, not even Lavi and Lenalee. Hell, he was more used to risking his life for his idiot half-brother Daisya than putting so much of himself on the line for a fellow exorcist.

Tsuki no Hachisu was a purely defensive technique whereby a portion of Innocence is left behind, lingering to form a circle; a protective barrier around the person to be protected. Kanda had never used it before, mainly because anyone engaged in a mission would either wield Innocence or are fully capable of surviving the missions when it comes to akuma attacks. Only a confident man would leave part of his Innocence somewhere else, away from them to protect another, especially if it means weakening their offensive techniques. And using this technique frequently would inevitably result in the death of the user as it takes up too much energy and concentration to maintain the barrier and fend off attacks on their own. It could almost be called a definite loss.

_But I have to make sure the moyashi is safe. Whatever those wretched level twos are planning, it can't be good. And considering that they have minimal brains maybe one third that of an ostrich, they may just be sensible enough to begin attacking his comrades._

When an onslaught of attacks came at the exorcist, Kanda cursed. They were aiming for the finder and the moyashi too. Kanda looked over his shoulder to find level twos surrounding the moyashi while others tried, with little success, to find the finder. Kanda closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds, strengthening the invisible barrier.

Taking this as a chance past the exorcist, an akuma cackled and swung itself forward, gliding through air like a discus. Before the yellow blob of ugly pond-skater lookalike could push past the blue-haired exorcist, Kanda already had Mugen buried to its hilt_—_

…right in that level two's neck.

"Your opponent is me."

—

Allen watched terrified, as he forced himself to take his eyes off of Kanda, looking around himself. He was in the worst predicament possible. There were level twos surrounding him in that faintly glowing circle, blocking his view of Kanda in battle.

_What am I supposed to do now? I don't have Mugen like Kanda does, nor can I use this stupid arm of mine, what do I do? _

A level two that resembled an octopus sniggered at the boy within the circle.

"Looks like pretty lil' white-haired missy's in a weird circle. Wonder if the man'd be pleased to find his little princess ripped to shreds when he gets here?"

The akuma jerked its thumb at the exorcist savagely cutting through all that came in its path and heatedly chasing those that escaped.

Allen was worried. Very worried. He was deathly afraid of these hideous creatures surrounding him and he was not in the least bit comforted by what he saw within each of them. In fact, he wished right now that he had a stick or even a chair to make himself feel less vulnerable. An akuma beside the level two that had just spoken was now crouching, vines of all thickness appearing and shooting out from a green lumpy shell on its back, ready to enclose the boy anytime. Allen looked fearfully at the thorns on those menacing vines.

_He wanted to run, very much, but Kanda had told him to stay in the circle. What if Kanda couldn't find him after he left the circle? Kanda _had_ promised that he'd be back for him. But he was frightened. He had to run hadn't he? What if these things killed him?_

At this thought, Allen shook his head.

…_I trust Kanda. Promise or not, he said it. That was all it takes._

Allen stood rooted to the spot in his circle, instinctively shielding his face with his arm when the vines clamped down. He waited and braced himself for the impact.

…_nothing?_

Allen cautiously brought his face from behind his arms, looking at the sight before him. The vines were suspended in mid-air, around him in a circular manner, but there seemed to be something that was preventing the vines from moving any closer to him. Allen watched the level twos stare, confused, while their fellow ally manipulated those vines, shifting and angling them before bringing them viciously down, only to hit an invisible wall with a sizzle. Allen looked at the circle he stood within in wonder.

_So Kanda drew this circle as a defensive technique to protect me?_

Allen gazed at the level twos.

Kanda would never leave him alone with a bunch of horrid things like these. With each sizzle, other akuma started getting the situation and began to combine random attacks on the moyashi, furious that there was a mere invisible barrier in its way. As each attack brought out became null and void, the akuma fell back in line, allowing more of their allies to try.

—

Kanda cursed, letting katana slip from his hands by an inch.

_If the akuma were going to attack Allen like that, even he wasn't going to last long. With every sizzle, he could feel the throbbing pain course through his body. He had to get Allen away. Good thing the finder had hidden so well. Or he wouldn't have known how to protect the both of them._

Kanda sent a blast of energy from himself, further worsening his condition, but achieving what he wanted. The akuma had cut down to half of what it was..

_He…he had to get to the finder and Allen._

Kanda had reopened healed wounds, doubling over, making more blood run down the side of his face, tracing the nice curve of his jaw. Kanda kept one eye shut as he half-walked, half-kneeled in front of his moyashi.

_Damn, even the blood was getting in his line of sight. _

Kanda raised a hand to his moyashi's cheek, smiling crookedly to cover his much obvious wince from the action. Allen let his tears run, playing his part as he stayed unmoving within the protective circle.

As if breaking out of a trance, Allen blinked once, twice, before gingerly placing his trembling hand to do the same to Kanda.

_Kanda had kept to his words. He had protected him and came back. He stayed there and Kanda came for him._

"BaKanda, BaKanda, BaKanda, BaKanda, BaKanda, BaKanda, BaKanda, BaKanda, BaKanda! Kanda, you're the worst person I've ever met," Allen hollered half-heartedly before pulling the blue-haired exorcist closer and resting his head on the man's shoulder.

Allen had every mind to pummel his fists and rain torrents of punches onto the battered body before him. But he knew better. Kanda looked as if he wouldn't be able to take anything more than a prod with a finger.

When Kanda saw his chance, Kanda removed the head from his shoulder, giving a, "Heh. Mo-moyashi, I need, arghhh, n_-_need you to leave. With the finder. You need to l-leave. I can't last much longer like this. You can see how I look now."

Eyes already beginning to search eh area for said finder, Toma, Kanda spotted him immediately, being as sharp as he always was. Kanda didn't give away the location of the finder, instead, giving his moyashi one quick embrace that told it all.

His reluctance to have the two of them move somewhere else, his pain from the battle that lasted all too long, his fading strength from those beautiful arms.

It cut off all arguments from the moyashi, and with one last comforting squeeze to the moyashi's hand, the moyashi had been transferred to the finder's arms.

Allen widened his eyes in horror. When had Kanda moved to the finder? _He hadn't seen it coming, at least not _that_ fast._

"Toma, Innocence! Bring the moyashi back to the Order. I'll expand the circle. I think I'll last at least till you get on the train. Tell that idiot head consider the mission completed," with that, Kanda flung out the extracted Innocence to the finder, who caught it easily and pocketed it.

Toma nodded. He understood it enough. The circle was draining Master Kanda. He could tell as much, although he doubted Master Allen knew. Expanding the circle as he was could prove fatal, but he knew it'd be pointless to protest or decline. It was to complete the mission. They were pawns after all. Master Kanda must really feel it important to protect Master Allen and to complete the mission flawlessly if he's draining himself just to use the circle.

With a final look, Toma spun, leaving a stunned Allen in his arms, craning his neck to get a better look at the fast disappearing Kanda. He caught the words Kanda spoke, "I'll be back."

Allen slumped in the finder's grip, knowing that he had to obey Kanda, he had to trust him, that was all he could do while Kanda was out there fighting for his life.

—

Kanda was tired. Very tired. He couldn't last much longer. Kanda took a last look at the sky before he finished off the last of the akuma, placing Mugen back into its sheath, strength and breath escaping him, the last few centimetres slipping into the sheath of its own accord rather than by his hand.

…_Were the moyashi and the finder safe? Had he…had he managed to protect them…?_

He dropped to the ground, body surrendering before he could come up with an answer to his own question.

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* * *

Portuguese!

Upon these ancient words, I seal the burning helmet before me, the Guardian. Ommmm. – I know it's pretty simple, but I didn't want it to be grammatically wrong, so I kept it short before I can mess this up. ^^

Kuso- Informal. Yeah, sorta noticed I like informals. But Kanda isn't very formal in the polite and I-am-nice sense, so…hohoho! It's supposed to be an exclamation. Like, when someone's late for class: Kuso! I'm late! Can be replaced with 'shit' or 'damn'. ^^

Tsuki no Hachisu- Yessss. I love the moon. And the rain. Tsuki is moon. Hachisu is lotus. So it's: Moon's Lotus. Or Lotus of the Moon. Whatever you like. ^^ Love this name


	4. Back

HAHA! Just felt a little crazy and had to rubbish a little. Anyway, the titles. Do they make sense? They were supposed to be from Allen's POV. He was found by Kanda. Cared for by Kanda. Left by Kanda. And now he's back where he belongs! And that's right with Kanda! omgomg. ... I'm a little crazy. High on fluff most probably. Ahem, without further ado, let's welcome the update! Ta-daa!

A/N: Allen here is an accommodator since he was found, and he hasn't been able to control his Innocence, yesh, all the way till he was fifteen. But I didn't really fill the gap from the part Mana died. ^^;; So forgive me if the setting and characterization is a little confusing.

Note: I KNOW THIS IS PRETTY SHORT. I'm trying to update. Seriously. I'm already working on the next chapter. So sorry if this chapter was a bit too short for your liking. The fluff will totally come up next. I wish I could give you a spoiler, but as the name 'spoiler' suggest, it'll spoil everything~! So, wait a little bit more!

Note2: Jap. translations are down there!

Warning: This is a Yullen fic, I'm sure you know that, and if you're here looking for lemons or sth, HAH! You'll be terribly disappointed. There will definitely be an overload of sugar and fluff, but that's all. The most you'll see is an increase in weight on the weighing scale! ^^

Disclaimer: Yeshhh~This place is called _Fan_fiction for a reason. These characters do not belong to me and never will. They belong to Katsura Hoshino.

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--

Toma was on the train. The circle had disappeared a few seconds ago, leaving an impossibly frightened and trembling Allen sitting opposite him. Allen had shifted away when he sat on the same side, so he shifted to the opposite instead. He wouldn't have minded sitting outside the train compartment, but he had to keep Master Allen and the two Innocence together with him within the circle. All the while on the train, he watched as Master Allen fidgeted with his coat hem and stare at the faintly glowing circle. The moment the circle had vanished, Master Allen had tears flowing freely, hands clenched tight onto his lapels.

Toma could only lower his head as he watched Master Allen cry silently. He couldn't reassure Master Allen when he himself wasn't sure when Master Kanda would be back with them at the Order. He could only watch knowingly when the circle faded and flickered, before extinguishing completely.

_Master Kanda must be at his limits already._

—

The moment the two had stepped foot back at the Order, Allen had run away from the finder, straight to Kanda's bedroom. If anything, Kanda's room was the only one he could and needed to remember getting to from practically anywhere he's been to in the Order.

The door wasn't locked when he reached. Allen slowed down before the door, almost afraid to enter. Nervously, Allen placed his hand on the doorknob and entered the room, back leaning against the door and staring into the familiar four walls he loved being in.

—

Toma knew that once at the Dark Order, Master Allen would be safe. Wasting no time at all, Toma headed straight for the head's office. When he entered, Komui was already alert, knowing that something must be wrong if it was a finder instead of Kanda who knocked and came personally to give a report.

From the very beginning of the mission till the end, Toma truthfully told the head what happened, excluding details which did not involve the mission of course, such as the more…_personal_ things concerning only Master Kanda and Master Allen. Komui listened with interest to the mission details, astonished at their luck of finding two Innocence at one go on one mission and with only one "working" exorcist and one finder too! Komui gave the finder brief instructions, telling him that all they could do now was to wait for Kanda's return as the exorcists present were all taking their first break in ages and Kanda's pride definitely wouldn't allow somebody saving him, especially after knowing that he used a technique he had never used before, for a reason he had never had before.

Toma was told to alert Lenalee and Lavi to check up on Allen-kun and then heading to rest, since Komui himself would be busied by the find of two Innocence. Should the higher-ups decide to have the Generals look for compatibles, he'd have a lot of work contacting the respective Generals.

—

"Allen-kun, are you there?"

Lenalee was outside the door, having received news from the finder of the latest mission.

"Moyashi-chan! It's no use, we _know_ you're in there! We're coming in if you don't reply us!"

Lavi was outside too, banging on Kanda's door. He was smart enough to know exactly where the moyashi would be, especially when moyashi-chan's dearest savior wasn't with him. Lavi kept true to his words, barging in with Lenalee. Lavi watched, open-mouthed, as Allen sat on the floor of the bedroom, in a small circle drawn with plain chalk.

"A-Allen-kun, are you alright?"

Allen remained silent, huddling and hugging his knees tighter to himself while his face remained passive.

"Moyashi-chan, I don't know why you're doing this, but this _has_ got to stop. I doubt Yuu would be pleased if he saw you right now like that."

At the mention of his favourite exorcist's name, Allen's back stiffened.

Seeing this reaction, Lavi continued, "He'll be back, I'm sure. If I remember correctly, Toma said you hadn't eaten for since you left for the mission?"

Allen started rocking himself back and forth slowly, tuning out Lavi's words. Kanda was the only one who could get his attention now.

He shouldn't have left. He should have stayed. He didn't care now. He regretted ever thinking of leaving Kanda alone like that. Trust could only go that far. He couldn't deny the fact that Kanda wasn't looking too good when he left.

_BaKanda always tried so hard. For him. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka. Baka!_

"...ne, Allen-chan. Oi, Allen-chan, were you listening?" Lavi whined.

Lenalee looked from Allen to the red-head. She shook her head, motioning for Lavi to leave the boy some time to be alone with himself. All and any talk would only remain around and nowhere into Allen. Lavi tugged up the corners of his mouth, giving the moyashi a slight and forced cheerful wave before he left, closing the door. They could only hope that moyashi-chan would be fine for now.

Allen lifted his head ever so slowly. He took a look at the door that had just closed.

Good. He didn't want company now. Not unless it was Kanda.

…Kanda.

The name itself brought a silent but choked sob to the boy. He wanted to see Kanda now. Reallyreally bad. He was feeling horrible without the blue-haired exorcist beside him. He felt as if he could sleep for an eternity.

—

Allen had sat, stone still in the circle late into the night, not once getting up or away from the circle he had made.

Lenalee and Lavi had returned, standing outside Kanda's room once more.

"Allen, I know you're upset, but it's past midnight and you have to at least _eat_ something," desperation cut into her voice, lacing it with concern.

Lavi, exasperated, took action first. He entered the room, Lenalee following close behind. Allen did not seem at all disturbed by the intrusion, only sitting where he was, rocking and unconsciously keening to himself, making no move to acknowledge the presence of the two intruders. Lavi couldn't tolerate it any longer. The boy hadn't even so much as blinked when they came in. Lavi kneeled on one foot, hands shooting out to pull Allen forcefully from the self-made circle.

When his hands met were met with no resistance and Allen crashed over onto him, making him fall over, Lavi blinked comically, and Lenalee would have laughed, if not for the dead weight in his hands. Allen had his eyes open, but they were dim and unseeing. With Allen half tipped over like this, Lavi could see the beads of perspiration that slicked the boy's forehead. Something was very strange. The boy never allowed anybody to touch him unless it was Kanda. Furthermore, his glazed over eyes worried Lavi.

"Lenalee, he's burning up! Help me pull him…up."

This time, when the two pairs of hands righted Allen and tried to pull him up, Allen weakly placed his hands on either exorcist, pushing them away feebly.

"N-no. Kanda…have to wait…wait…Kanda…did…same. Kanda drew circle…came. Kanda'll... come again."

Lavi could have sworn that the boy's eyes gained a sparkle when he spoke of Kanda. Feeling extremely helpless since Allen was sick and wasn't in any condition to be dragged around, which meant he had to move willingly. Lavi could only hold the boy still until consciousness slipped from the boy. Allen's head, as if right on cue, lolled forward onto Lavi's chest, body slackening in Lavi's grip. He hadn't managed to escape Lavi's firm grip on him.

Lavi frowned and carried Allen, resting him carefully onto the bed, keeping the covers off him, knowing that he needed to cool down. Lenalee watched the scene with stormy eyes. This was getting serious. Allen obviously wasn't in a right state of mind without his savior beside him. Things would only worsen if Kanda didn't return soon.

"Kanda-san had better be back soon. If he doesn't come back soon, I swear he'll get Allen-kun killed."

"Lena, could you update Komui on Allen-chan? I'll try to get him to cool down while you're at it."

Nodding, Lenalee replied, "Yes, I'll tell Komui nii-san about Allen. He should be sleeping in his office."

Lenalee had exited and left Lavi all alone in the room with Allen. Lavi advanced towards the little figure on the bed. Climbing over the edge on the bed, Lavi's head was bowed down, weight supported with a knee on either side of Allen's hips, aligned. Lavi placed his hands on the moyashi's shoulders, attempting to take off the heavy and warm exorcist coat from him.

Allen opened his eyes, unsure of when he'd closed them. Looking up blearily, Allen felt nauseous, a splitting headache clinging on to his hazy mind. He barely registered who it was above him, although their current positions reminded Allen of his encounter with Kanda. Instinctively, when his thoughts strayed to Kanda, Allen widened his eyes, a tiny flicker of hope glimmering.

_Was it Kanda? _

Allen winced at the headache that attacked him when he widened his eyes too quick to confirm the identity of the one above him.

_It's…it's not Kanda. Not…Kanda. Not Kanda. _

And the next moment, Allen had mustered up all his strength and had shoved Lavi, hard, hard enough to land at the foot of Kanda's bed and fall, bum-down to the ground.

"Ow-ow-ow-owww. Allen-chan! You could have been a little gentler! I was trying to help you out of your coat. You're burning too high!"

Allen shook his head, knees bending slightly, as if to prevent Lavi from coming any closer.

_He didn't want anybody in that position. That position that Kanda had had over him. It was a position reserved specially and solely for his knight. Nobody else but Kanda. Lavi wasn't going to be an exception._

Lavi raised his hands, palms toward Allen in defeat. Wordlessly, Lavi went towards the bathroom to get a wet towel at least, for the uncooperative moyashi. Looking around in the bathroom, he took the closest towel he could get his hands on. Lavi wetted it and returned to his spot beside the bed, wet towel in hand. This time, he was well-aware of moyashi's wary eyes.

Sighing, Lavi commented, "You need to cool down. If you're not going to take it, I'm going to do it for you."

Allen frowned, hesitating for a second before reaching out and snatching the towel from Lavi's outstretched hand.

—

Meanwhile, Lenalee was already in Komui's office with a hastily woken up but nonetheless cheerful-to-see-his-beloved-sister head.

"Nii-san, Allen's drawn a circle and refused to get out of it. We were worried since he didn't come out and eat, so…so we went to try coax him out of the room, but he wouldn't listen. Lavi was the one who barged in. I followed him. He found Allen-kun burning up."

Komui pondered those words, head inclining slightly.

_Burning up? That was…strange. It was highly unlikely that Allen-kun had caught a cold. Kanda would never have let Allen catch a cold when Allen was with him. Allen-kun had only been back at the Order. Where and when could he have caught a cold? And no amount of trauma could get a normal and healthy exorcist to burn up. Something must have gone wrong…Could it be, could it be…_?

Komui found the situation most unusual. He stared solemnly at his sister and said, "We can only pray Kanda is coming back soon, if my guesses are correct."

Lenalee could only tilt her head questioningly at her brother, who was deep in thought, a rare occurrence.

—

Allen had smothered his face with the wet towel completely. The scent of the towel; green tea and soap…Allen breathed the familiar fragrance in headily. It made him feel a lot better, knowing that he was in Kanda's room and was clutching on to Kanda's towel. Lavi took his leave after yawning for the billionth time. One could almost swear that his face had changed the moment he started to yawn. His eyes became droopy, his blinking slowed, his shoulders hunched forward slightly. Yes, he had a biological alarm clock. Once he started yawning, it was a sign for him to drop himself on his bed and _sleep._

"Ne, moyashi-chan, I'll be going off. If you need me, just call. Call loud enough, I'm sure it'll reach my room."

—

The next day, Kanda hadn't returned from the mission and Komui had begun to lean against his desk, sipping coffee for ages; a sign that he was troubled. Allen's conditions had gotten worse in the night. He had a fever that wouldn't stop burning, violent coughs taking over his body which leaving the boy more than unwilling to talk. To make matters worse, the boy wouldn't allow anybody to touch him; flinching away from anybody who came too close to him. Agitating the boy only served to rack up his violent coughing. Lavi and Lenalee had given up trying to get the boy to eat because of that. The boy refused all and any food. He was getting paler by the day; nothing could get his spirits higher other than the occasional mention of Kanda that would get the boy to perk up, then sadden and return to his passive mode.

Lavi was back to see Allen again that morning, although he had quite given up on persuading the boy to eat. Lenalee had gone with Reever to help Komui with his paperwork. As usual, Lavi asked Allen if he felt particularly uncomfortable anywhere, not expecting an answer from the boy. Lavi had almost exited the room when Allen spoke up.

"Left arm…numb…can't move."

Lavi widened his eyes. Allen rarely said anything at all; there must be something serious troubling him if he had spoken up. Lavi made his way beside the bed. Allen had been half-under the covers in Kanda's bedroom since he refused to go to the Infirmary or let anyone touch him, so there hadn't really been anybody doing a manual check-up on him.

"Allen, I need you to show me your arm, mind if I…" Lavi trailed off, pointing at the covers, where Allen's arm was supposed to be under.

Allen pouted for a moment, pondering his question. A second later, Allen nodded, albeit reluctantly. He knew that Lavi would probably be in better position to determine the cause of the numbness and help him.

Allen allowed Lavi to tug away the covers before pulling up his sleeve, revealing his arm. Lavi gaped at what he saw, not expecting something as shocking as what he saw. The glowing green cross on the back of Allen's hand had turned a deep, mysterious ashmauve, vines spreading from that one point outwards and upwards, ensnaring that dark, reddish arm in its embrace. Thorns borne the vines, but they seemed rather harmless, thorns barely pressing into that tender skin.

Lavi, entranced and thoroughly ensnared in awe, reached out to touch the arm. The vines enclosed the arm further, growing longer and raveling around that arm more, its thorns suddenly looking more menacing than ever.

Lavi got out of it immediately, clearing his head. There was a hint of danger from those vines. He had to get Komui. _Quick._

"Allen-chan, wait for me, I'm going off for a second."

When Lavi returned, Komui was at his side, staring intently at Allen. Allen looked from Lavi to Komui.

_Lavi had told Komui about his arm? What was Komui going to do with him?!_

"Allen-kun, I think I need to bring you down to see Hevlaska about your Innocence arm. Lavi described your situation and I can see very clearly that this involves Innocence," Komui said gravely, all the while looking straight into the frightened boy's silver orbs.

Allen widened his eyes, trying to shake the vines off. Allen currently wished for the vines to magically disappear there and then. He didn't want to go with Komui to see that…that translucent…Hev—Hevlaska in the basement. Especially when Kanda wasn't around.

"Sorry about this, Allen-chan!"

Lavi was in front of Allen, by the side of the bed, and he had already gone on to sling Allen's arms around his neck, moving swiftly out of Kanda's room. It was a normal piggyback, but the contact had gotten Allen thrashing around, frantically trying to get away from Lavi.

This man wasn't Kanda, and Kanda didn't usually carry him like that. He didn't like having his arms around anyone else but Kanda. Having Lavi carrying him on his back made him nauseous. He needed to get away from Lavi, fast. Lavi was too close to him; their bodies were touching. It just wasn't right, especially with someone other than Kanda.

Everything racing through his mind then comprised of Kanda, and Allen pushed and knocked Lavi feebly at the shoulder blades, trying to free himself from Lavi's hands and fast legs.

"Allen-chan, you haven't eaten anything for the past few days. You wouldn't be able to stop me even if you tried. You should stop before you fall off. I'm sure Yuu-chan wouldn't be too pleased if he found out the moyashi fell and hurt himself."

His words did the trick. Allen's attempts grew increasing half-hearted before gradually ceasing completely.

"Che."

Lavi heard the soft sound and smiled. The boy had picked up Yuu-chan's habits!

—

Lavi had left, leaving Komui and Allen alone in the basement with Hevlaska. A struggling Allen was once again wrapped around by Hevlaska's tentacles after he was safely trapped between her metallic claws.

To both Hevlaska and Allen's surprise, horror being mostly on Allen's part, the vines enclosing his arm had reacted to Hevlaska's actions, and almost as if acting on its owner's emotions, they slithered their way to Allen's front, creating a neat spectacle of several long, thorny vines assembled at different points in an invisible circle around Allen.

If Hevlaska was shocked, she didn't show it. The roots of strange occurrences usually lie with Innocence. She still had to check the boy's synchronization rate. Tentacles wavering in dimness and stretching towards and around Allen, they remained unaffected by the vines which had launched an attack, shooting from their positions, only to pass through all and any part of Hevlaska they touched.

"Save your strength boy, it's useless," Hevlaska stated simply.

Her words seemed to calm the panicking boy down, and the vines responded to the change in atmosphere, withdrawing from her and slinking back to the ashmauve cross on Allen's left hand.

The same process took place, with those strange tentacles reaching into Allen, making him uncomfortable, but the boy put up with it, he didn't even make a sound. It ended almost an eternity later, tentacles swiftly withdrawing from his body and back into nothing. Allen was jolted by Hevlaska's deep, resonating holler within the dark basement.

"Komui! What is this?! The boy's synchronization rate has fallen to a low of 63%! The last he came, barely a few days ago, his Innocence was at 83%. His Innocence seems unstable! If this continues, the synchronization rate will decrease further and the boy will inevitably become a Fallen One!" Hevlaska roared, confused yet all the same angry.

Allen was placed back with his feet on the ground. This was new to him and he didn't know what was wrong.

"I've never seen something like this before—"

Komui interrupted her thoughtfully, a speculating look clouding his features when he looked at the boy he had brought to the basement, "ne, Hevlaska, is it possible for an Innocence to become…_attuned_ to another's presence?"

Hevlaska narrowed her eyes, coiling her gigantic body a little, bending down to see Komui better.

"What do you mean, supervisor?" the words came out as a hiss, but in a noticeably calmer tone than before.

"Because you see, Kanda was the one to save this boy, and from the limited and highly inaccurate information I managed to gather from that Bookman Junior, the boy was found ly— " Komui recounted all the encounters starting from the time Kanda had rescued the boy and have said boy, Allen, waking up and allowing nobody but the blue-haired exorcist near him.

Allen listened to the droning, disinterested. He badly wanted to go back to Kanda's room and wait for Kanda. What if Kanda had already come back and he was still here, trapped in this stupid basement and a stupid head.

Hevlaska spoke after the long but simple recount, "I have never seen a case as such, but Innocence being a fragment of God's power; anything can happen. When such an unpredictable matter is fused with a human heart, a being not so like itself, strange things may happen. I do not agree on a completely new level since I've never heard of this, but I am not entirely shutting out that idea."

"So…yes, it _is_ possible," Hevlaska stated hesitantly, almost unsure of her own words.

Komui caught Allen's look of disinterest, and as politely as he could, said, "thank you, I think I'll be bringing Allen-kun up and you can have your rest."

Hevlaska only nodded, turning away and shifting her attention on something else.

—

Kanda had opened his eyes, dragging a forearm over his eyes out of habit. Kanda looked around. How long had he been out of it? It looked like he was out cold for two days.

_Wait. What?!! Two days?!_

Kanda sat up in one swift motion. He regretted it instantly. Most of his wounds had healed, but he was still feeling sore from all the fighting, and the deeper lacerations were bound to have a smaller gash or cut still there. He wasn't some sort of immortal. In fact, he was just the opposite.

Kanda looked around, spotting what he was looking for.

The helmet, the helmet. Taking the helmet from the man was as good as a promise to protect the helmet. He _didn't_ break his promises, not even to a stranger.

_I should get going too. Don't know how the finder and the moyashi are faring? I suppose they'd be back at the Order by now._

Kanda left the helmet where it was, illuminated in that coincidental patch of dim light. He'd leave it there. Akuma wouldn't be looking for the helmet now that the Innocence had been safely retrieved. His job was done. He'd protected the helmet. Leaving it here would ultimately be the best choice. Bandits would never have thought of this ingenious place to leave such an important helmet.

_Good. That would mean that he was done with his job. He had completed the mission and protected the helmet. Someone was bound to find the helmet one day, but that had nothing to do with him. His mission ends there. Both in retrieving the Innocence and in protecting the helmet as a silent, unsaid promise. _

Kanda wobbled a little on his feet, making his way out of the ruins of the amphitheatre. He raised his head to the sky, noticing the dark hues ensnaring the previously azure sky. Judging by the dwindling sunlight, nightfall was coming and he wouldn't make it before the next morning if he didn't get a move on.

_That moyashi might start crying if I don't hurry. I said I'll be back._

…_Ki ni shinai, moyashi._

—

When Komui had brought Allen up, Lavi was nowhere in sight, much to Komui's surprise. That rabbit, being a rabbit, should be rabbitting about, waiting to hear what had happened in the basement with Hevlaska and then proceeds to rabbit his rabbit findings to practically anybody who'd bother listening to the rabbit's rabbittings. Come to think of it, Komui _did_ indeed remember Bookman mentioning that he'd be trapping, no, _ahem_, taking Lavi with him to the library for some proper studying Lavbi, as Bookman Junior should be doing.

Allen could see that Komui was thinking about something, and he didn't know what it was that the head was thinking, but he wasn't the slightest bit interested. All he knew was that he desperately wanted Kanda back at the Order.

Before Komui had a chance to ask Allen where he intended to go to, Allen had murmured a soft, "Kanda" and sprinted off without a word, heading for Kanda's room. Komui sighed, shaking his head in defeat and turned in the opposite direction back to his office.

—

Komui was snoring away when his beloved Lenalee-chan had kicked the door open, in the literal sense, with her Dark Boots. Komui woke up instantly, looking up and asking stupidly, "Has the Earl come for a visit?"

"Wake up, nii-san! Kanda's back!"

At this Komui rubbed the sleep from his eyes immediately, eyes scanning the spot behind his sister.

"Huh? Where is he?"

At this, Lenalee looked down, starting to fidget.

"Nii-san, I…I saw Kanda at the right after he entered the Order. I…I said some pretty harsh things."

—

Kanda gave a faint 'che' when he recalled what Lenalee had said.

"_Kanda! You're finally back!"_

_Kanda ignored her weakly pushing her to the side as he moved forward, for once glad that he had the ability to ignore anybody he wanted to. He needed to patch himself up a little; he was done pretty bad and the deeper lacerations hadn't healed much at all._

_Now, Lenalee was angry. Hadn't the mighty Kanda got anything to say after being missing in action for two days?!_

"_Kanda. Allen-kun has been worried sick about you. He wouldn't let anybody touch him; Lavi couldn't even get him to the Infirmary. He's been staying in your room ever since Toma brought him back. Now here you are and you act like nothing's your problem when Allen-kun hasn't eaten or slept in days! He's even been burning up too! Lavi had to—_

_Kanda hadn't even waited for Lenalee to finish before he tore off into the direction of the cafeteria, uncaring of his own wounds for the moment._

—

When Kanda had crashed into his bedroom with the tray in his hands, nothing spilled, Allen was sitting on his bed, arms around himself. Allen looked up at the intruder. The world lapsed into a moment of agonizing slow-motion.

Kanda walked, one step at a time, over to the bed, all the while watching as Allen's eyes widened and pushed his hand out towards him. Allen reached up to caress the side of Kanda's face with trembling fingers.

_Kanda was in front of him! It was really Kanda after all! The Kanda that he waited for!_

Both were lost in the moment, until Kanda jerked away from that hand, remembering what he had brought along with him. Allen's reaction was enough to throw him into the depths of hell itself.

—

His persistent thoughts revisited the way Allen's hand lingered in the air when he'd jerked away, fingers curling as if that unexpected movement struck him, hard. Allen had cried out in surprised pain, staring at Kanda with a heart-wrenching look of hurt and utter confusion in his eyes. Kanda forced himself to think of more important things.

"I heard you haven't been eating at all. Baka moyashi! What were you trying to do? Kill yourself? You could have at least taken care of yourself while I was away!"

He was mad, oh yes, very mad, he was goddamn worried when he had heard from Lenalee that the moyashi hadn't even gone to the Infirmary. Swallowing the guilt gnawing its way from inside, Kanda continued, keeping his tone to a minimum harsh, "Eat, or you're not getting anywhere closer to me."

He knew that moyashi was probably craving physical contact but he couldn't afford the moyashi to be in some kind of life threatening situation just because he didn't eat. By the looks of it, baka moyashi didn't sleep well, just like Lenalee had said. He looked so tired, despite his rounded silver eyes. His eyes had lost some of their sparkle when he blinked, a tell-tale sign that Allen hadn't been the slightest bit "well" all this time.

Allen gulped thickly. Kanda was too far. He needed, he badly needed to touch Kanda now, after sorely missing him for days, and he needed to touch him. Why didn't Kanda understand? Breathing through gritted teeth harshly, Allen looked down at the tray Kanda had just reached out and placed on the table beside the bed. Desperation getting the better of him, Allen made to hold onto Kanda's retreating hand.

Kanda only pulled it away from him, shaking his head and pointing instead to the soba. Scrunching up his face, Allen glared at the soba, as if putting all the blame for not being able to touch Kanda on that wretched serving. He attacked the soba soon enough, eager to touch Kanda, even if just a little teensy weensy bit. Allen swallowed, barely chewing.

Worry was dissipating Kanda's anger, replacing the hard look on his face with a concerned frown instead.

_That moyashi was going to _choke_ if he continued eating like that._

Sure enough, Allen began to choke, coughing slightly, neck bent, head down. Kanda fought the urge to pat the boy, knowing the boy would busy himself holding on to him instead of eating if he went any closer. Kanda could only watch, brows furrowed anxiously, praying hard that his moyashi would be fine before Allen's coughing ceased and he finished the last mouthful. The moment the pair of chopsticks left his hand, Allen flung himself out towards the exorcist, latching onto the other.

Kanda only gave a soft grunt, expecting something like this.

"BaKanda! You said you'll come back! You made me wait…so long… I thought you forgot about me."

"Che. I'd consider it a skill to be able to forget one as stupid and clumsy as you."

Kanda used his usual sarcastic remark to mask his concern for the moyashi. He wasn't one to say nice things, but his words obviously lacked their usual sting, and even the stupidest moyashi could hear that. Allen rolled his eyes up at Kanda.

"Not letting go. Ever."

The words came out muffled, but clear enough for Kanda to hear it all. Warning bells sounded loudly in Kanda's mind again, he could see the intent in Allen's eyes, Allen meant it when he said he wasn't ever going to let him go. Rather at a loss for words, Kanda opted to put his arms securely around the moyashi.

Allen's eyes softened impeccably. Kanda's hands were reassuring; they always made him feel calm. That was his saviour, the one who protected him all along.

.

.

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* * *

ki ni shinai- informal. Again. It means 'don't worry'.


	5. Felt

A/N: Allen here is an accommodator since he was found, and he hasn't been able to control his Innocence, yesh, all the way till he was fifteen. But I didn't really fill the gap from the part Mana died. ^^;; So forgive me if the setting and characterization is a little confusing.

Note: Yesyes. Most of you are pelting me with rocks and strange fruits and cabbage. So sorry I've been taking so long for the update. Was lazy and wrote bit by bit. So I decided to organize everything and rewrite some portions. I hope this chapter isn't a disappointment. Not much of action and I know some of you are dying to see Allen's Innocence. Heh. Of course, there will be some changes made to his Innocence. A mechanical arm is a tad boring eh?

Note2: Okayyyyy, I know Kanda's a Second exorcist and did blahblahblah in his past and yadayada. But I gave him a new background since I decided that it's pretty upsetting to keep Kanda as nothing more than an experiment product. But the lotus is still around, yes. There'll be some revelation and stuffs, so no mistakes made. I know he wasn't a real accommodator and things. Have fun! You'll know it all in time!

Note3: Japanese translations down there. As usual. So scroll all the way down nowww.

Note4: Okay, good news: progression from just 'Kanda' to 'his Kanda'. Awwwww, moyashi-chan is getting closer to Kandaaaa~!

Warning: This is a Yullen fic, I'm sure you know that, and if you're here looking for lemons or sth, HAH! You'll be terribly disappointed. There will definitely be an overload of sugar and fluff, but that's all. The most you'll see is an increase in weight on the weighing scale! ^^

Disclaimer: Yeshhh~This place is called _Fan_fiction for a reason. These characters do not belong to me and never will. They belong to Katsura Hoshino.

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Kanda had left moyashi asleep on his bed while he "snuck" out, since he knew he had to give Komui a report on the mission and he didn't want moyashi to drop from lack of rest. Kanda took a deep breath and took on his usual stride to Komui's office.

—

"Ahhh, I was wondering when you'd come in for your report on the mission. I would think you don't want to fill in the details of it after the Finder left?"

Komui knew that the swordsman would hardly be keen to elaborate on his behavior or his saving of a comrade. Kanda would never admit to his masochist complex or the fact that he actually cared, a lot, about others on the mission with him. Even if Komui did want the details of what happened after the Finder had left, Kanda would probably be vague and grunt his answers throughout the verbal report or completely omit them if he was told to write one.

"It is quite alright since the Finder has made a report when he came back and I have enough information of the retrieval of both Innocence to submit a report, so we can leave that matter at rest. I have other things to discuss with you about."

Seeing no change in the man's features, Komui plowed on.

"Kanda, Allen-kun has been sick all the while you weren't around, and he displayed strange symptoms that indicated a bad fever and fatigue, but putting two and two together, I have…rather…_different_ conclusions about that."

Seeing that Kanda was obviously not very fond of staying in his office for long, Komui launched into the tale quickly, explaining all the relevant details of his visit to Hevlaska with Allen-kun.

When Komui ended his relatively long speech, Kanda gave a 'che'. Komui's tale wasn't all that hard to believe—Allen had practically clung to him since he had rescued that moyashi out of the debris.

"What do you expect me to do about…about moyashi's…condition?

"Ah, yes, I'm coming to that. Ehh, before I continue, I'd like to put in a gentle reminder that this is a delicate matter and you should remain calm at all times throughout the…discussion."

With a noise that sounded strangely like "wheee", Komui had hidden underneath his desk, head peeking out as he continued despite Kanda's obvious confusion at his previous words.

"As I was saying, the Allen-kun's Innocence has become…attuned to you. And since you can't be with Allen all the time, it is safe to say that the moyashi's condition would turn unstable and likely be a threat to others around and possibly, eventually Allen-kun himself."

Komui paused to cough and puff up his chest importantly.

"So here's the deal: You, need to give moyashi-chan something important of yours, to take your place in case you're not there by his side."

The corner of Kanda's left eye twitched at the term "moyashi-chan". Komui ignored it and pushed his spectacles to slide up the bridge of his nose.

"One more thing Kanda, it needs to be something truly important. Innocence are fragments of God's power. Lie not, for it knows what comes from the heart."

Komui ended his words and stepped up close, resting the tip of his forefinger on the place right above his heart for emphasis.

"Che."

Kanda turned and stormed out of the office, a little shocked since that piece of news had been…unexpected.

_So he had to give the moyashi something important of his. But he didn't have a lot of materialistic possessions. _

Kanda spent longer than usual walking back to his room, buried in thoughts all the while along the corridors, eyebrows furrowed.

_But what could he give? Komui said it had to be…to be important. Mugen was out of the picture. He couldn't possibly give the moyashi his Innocence. Then…what was there that was important? His hourglass. Yes, that was it!_

Kanda frowned again.

_It wasn't like he could get the moyashi to lug his hourglass around. Hell, he wasn't even sure he wanted moyashi to know of that…_

Kanda's shoulders slumped.

_That object which measured his life force._

Kanda shook his head, fighting the urge to take off his hairtie and run his fingers through his hair.

_Hair tie! He could let moyashi—no, he couldn't. As much as he didn't want the moyashi in such a dangerous condition, he couldn't possibly go around without his hairtie. And hell, he didn't have time to get another, so his hair tie was out._

Kanda's frustration only built up the closer he was to his room. He'd reach his room in a few minutes at the pace he was walking. Moyashi would be there. He had to think of something he could give to the moyashi as soon as possible. He most certainly did not want to prolong Allen's condition.

_Think. Think! What did he have that was important. Truly important. Or moyashi's Innocence may sniff it out and get even more dangerous. _

Kanda took a long calming breath.

_Truly important. Sincere. _

Kanda's eyes widened imperceptibly. He had a good idea of what he could give his moyashi. With that, Kanda strode into the room, finding moyashi already awake, sitting on his bed and waiting for him. Kanda walked to the side of the bed, not looking past the fact that his moyashi was surprised by his actions but all the same happy to see him.

Kanda placed his hand over his left wrist. Allen couldn't see what it was under that pale and large hand, but the next moment, Kanda had kneeled so that their height matched and gingerly taken moyashi's right hand in his left. Allen's frame turned slack and his eyes widened as he blinked profusely, gaze caught by what Kanda had slipped over his hand.

It was the Japanese bracelet that looked strangely like prayer beads Kanda had always had on him.

_Was…was Kanda…giving it to him?_

Before Allen had a chance to react, Kanda had gently lifted moyashi's chin with his thumb and forefinger, pressing his lips to the moyashi's. It was a brief contact and Kanda pulled away, adamant that moyashi didn't see his flushed face.

"Meditate."

Kanda left a simple word before he slipped soundlessly out of the room again.

Hell, he was embarrassed but he himself wasn't sure if that bracelet was really important enough to him. So he had used a kiss as his last resort. With that it should be safe enough. It wasn't like he did that every day.

—

Kanda's pov

_Oh, of course, the last resort has to be reliable. And you found it pretty reliable since it was your… First. Kiss._

'So what if it was?' Kanda flushed, keeping his head lower than usual.

_Ooooooh, Kanda's shy now eh?_

'Shut up.' Kanda was getting more and more annoyed at this voice which conjured itself within his mind.

—

Kanda had gone into the training room to meditate, choosing a lone corner to rest.

—

Meanwhile, Allen was in the room, still on Kanda's bed. He vividly remembered Kanda bringing his face closer…leaning in… then that kiss. He wasn't going to forget that. Ever. And the fact that Kanda had given him something he put on everyday…that was a good thing too.

Allen smiled.

Kanda had blushed. He saw the faint tint of pink that dusted his saviour's cheeks even in the dim light.

—

The next few days passed peacefully, Kanda having to drag the moyashi wherever he went since Allen clung to him almost every single second. Other than that fact, Kanda's days were more or less returning to his old one. He trained early in the morning and despite reassuring the moyashi that he'd return, Allen would wake up when he did and resort to watching him train.

Allen was catching on his meditating pretty quickly, becoming a little less fidgety, but fidgety nonetheless. They trained together, ate together, meditated together. Naturally, there was a room set aside for the new addition to the Black Order family, but Allen had memorized at least twenty routes from all over the headquarters to Kanda's room, his room to Kanda's being one of those routes, which ended up with Kanda waking to find that a certain moyashi had snuck into his room and was curled up against his side.

Lavi and Lenalee had seen just how close their two dearest friends were, and of course, like any other "best friend" would, they had joined forces and were now coming up with various plots and schemes. But those plots and schemes remained as what they were, nothing more, for technology and brain science had not been advanced enough to carry out all the plans Lavi and Lenalee had in store for the couple without incurring a certain exorcist's wrath.

—

Kanda had been called to Komui's office, and he entered with his usual expressionless mask, awaiting the supervisor's words.

"Now, Kanda, I'm sure you know exorcists are not entitled to vacations and such, but_—_"

Kanda rolled his eyes. He knew where this conversation was heading. He'd had it with the supervisor for years and yet, here he was again, having to listen to the supervisor's silly rants again.

"Kandaaaa-san. Listen here, please. But as you know, exorcists get injured often and are hence allowed to take leaves from the field. And that time is when exorcists actually use it to see their families, take a nice, long trip away, get a breath of fresh air, se_—_"

"Get straight to the point."

Komui gulped at the currently unsheathed Mugen, barely six inches away and yet fearsome as ever.

"Alright, alright. You see, all the exorcists have used this privilege regularly, and as I was saying, you rarely use yours at all. Up till now, you have only used up an insignificant number of…of…of so little days in all the time you've been here that I don't even know how many you used. THAT, simply means that you've used a negligible number of days off_—_"

"What? It was four days I used up! Four fucking days I had to loiter outside the Order just so you'd stop pestering me to finish the days off!"

Kanda was completely ignored.

"—and hence," Komui cleared his throat importantly, spectacles gleaming, almost a reflection of his evil intentions.

"And hence…?"

"And hence, you have a total of almost four months off."

"No. I am not leaving the field for four fucking months Komui."

Right on cue, the tip of Mugen glinted in the light of the office.

"Yesyes, so I thought you could give your days away to somebody else."

Kanda visibly relaxed at that. He didn't care much for the leave days. Komui could start making plans to give away the rest of the leave days in the next few years to come for all he cared.

"Sooooo—" Komui took a deep breath, "— ournewexorcistAllen-. And that's it really."

"Say what? I would think I caught that _rather_ clearly."

Komui shuddered, breaking out in sweat immediately. He had hoped Kanda wouldn't catch a word of it.

"I…I mean, yes, I meant what I meant. And also, you could take the vacation along with this."

Komui hastily pushed a crème-coloured envelope into his chest and gave the exorcist a good shove before slamming the office door and bolting it. He had risked his head back there.

—

Kanda had sheathed Mugen and his gaze was drawn to the envelope. He turned it around in his hands. It was a simple envelope and Kanda's eyes were fixed onto the wax seal. It was a pretty silver with the flaring emblem of his family crest on it. Kanda sighed. The weight of the envelope in his hands now seemed a lot heavier than it actually was.

It was from his father.

—

He had hoped that this day would come a little later than it had today. He studied the emblem with disinterest. He had finally managed to persuade the moyashi to train his stamina, with Lavi's help. His Innocence hadn't exactly revealed itself and all they could do to help moyashi was to build up his stamina.

The family crest. It had nobility etched onto every detail. It had a King's hat that looked very much from the British Regency and the heads of two eagles facing outwards, seemingly guarding the two doors like ones of a portal beneath those heads. Elaborate wings were fanned out from the sides of the doors and strange whorls decorated the base of the family crest.

Yes, wax seals were rarely that elaborate and fine on details, but such was the nobility of his family's status— His own status.

—

Kanda flopped down on the bed.

_So Komui had wanted him to go back to Japan and finish whatever matters and bring moyashi along for a vacation? He didn't really mind bringing the moyashi for a trip away. The moyashi probably felt cooped up in this place. It'd be good to bring him out, but the matters. That was different. How was he going to bring moyashi along? His father would hardly be pleased with a boy tagging along. And…Allen was…different. His father would pick on that. White hair, pentacle, scar, silver eyes. He'd be the centre of his father's scorn. He didn't want that. Not in the slightest._

Kanda sighed again. He was getting a headache from all these problems. Kanda laid on the bed, waiting for the moyashi to come into his room. He'd inform the moyashi of their trip later.

—

Kanda was in the room with Allen, sitting up straight and resting a forehead to his clasped hands, thinking of a way to convey the message.

"Mo-moyashi, exorcists have leaves, due to the high chances of getting attacked. We get these days off where we can stay out of the field," Kanda said carefully, thinking of the right words to use.

"And…I…I have accumulated quite a bit of time. Komui has decided that half of it could go to you so that I can take you along on a trip to Japan. Yes. Japan."

Allen's face lit up immediately.

_He could go to Japan! Kanda was going to bring him along!_

"But moyashi, I-I have some matters to handle so we'll be at a…place."

Kanda had realized just how oddly vaguely he was being.

_Ah, to hell with it. He'll just spit it out._

"We'll be at a mansion. A large mansion where my father lives, in Japan. He is of nobility and that makes me an onzoushi. You'll…find out more when we're there. So, I was saying…I have some formal matters to handle so you'll just have to bear with me a little when we reach."

Allen only nodded, completely caught up in the thought of going to Japan. He'd never been there and it was Kanda's hometown.

_Kanda would tell him all about that place._

"We'll leave tomorrow."

Allen grinned.

—

The next day was a little different. Kanda hadn't gone for his routine morning training at 5am. He'd lain in bed, staring, an arm resting on his stomach while the other was flung carelessly over his head. He was…distracted. Yes, that was the word. His father had planned everything for him. He had tried delaying it, trying not to keep in touch, busying himself with being an exorcist. Kanda sighed.

…_there was no escaping it was there?_

At around six, Kanda had come out of his brooding, waking the moyashi whom he had grown used to sneaking into his room, before they went to meet Komui for a short while to inform him of their leave.

"Oi, moyashi, put on your exorcist clothes, we'll be heading off soon."

—

Allen looked up at Kanda, blinking curiously as a question came into his mind.

"Kanda, aren't we bringing anything? No clothes? No food? Nothing?"

Kanda stiffened.

_How was he going to explain it to the boy? _

He didn't like dwelling on his background or his family for that matter, so the situation was making him feel very, very awkward. He lived in a mansion, had butlers, servants, chauffeurs, and a ton of money he hadn't bothered spending. Not like he needed that huge sum anyway. The Order had rooms, uniforms, training grounds. And a cafeteria. There wasn't anything else he needed.

_Correction, there wasn't anything else he wanted._

"I'll…I'll have everything over there."

Allen widened his eyes in questioning, but didn't probe any further. His savior must have his own reasons for being vague. Allen shrugged. He'd be safe anywhere around Kanda, so nothing really mattered, since he was going to be with Kanda. For a month.

_One month. One whole month. Kanda. _

Allen's face lit up as an adorable grin stole its way onto his face at this refreshed piece of information in his head.

Kanda caught the grin; and a strange warmth crept into his limbs. He had no idea why Allen was grinning so innocently, but an overwhelming calmness fell over him when he saw it, so he didn't question that expression further, allowing his mind to rest on the contents of the envelope that rested in his coat.

—

The trip there was hardly exciting, with a moyashi sleeping his journey through and a blue-haired exorcist stroking those white locks tickling his chin. Moyashi had slept on him as usual, leaning in real close, snaking his arms around Kanda's waist and burrowing his head in Kanda's chest, right under his chin. This left Kanda with only one option_—_ putting his arms around the moyashi or risk his moyashi crashing head-first onto the ground. Of course, the latter was out of the picture and hence the one and only option Kanda was left with was put his arms around Allen.

When they had reached Japan, there was a carriage all ready with a driver. Kanda highly suspected the presence of footmen waiting at the mansion.

"Kanda-sama, your father has arranged for us to fetch you back. Pardon my rudeness, but I was not informed of this…guest that you would be bringing along," the driver commented, tone hesitant.

It wasn't his place to talk so much but having worked for the family for quite some time, he was rather familiar with the masters so he saw little harm conversing.

That wakened a small, tiny little spark of a protective feeling somewhere in Kanda. Kanda gave an inaudible growl subconsciously, stepping into the driver's line of sight, successfully blocking the moyashi from the nosy chauffeur. He felt strangely annoyed at the question. Moyashi was apprehensive enough in a foreign country altogether without this kind of question fraying his nerves.

Kanda cleared his throat.

"It'll be fine. I'll tell otou-sama myself. Now, if you please, I would think otou-sama is expecting our arrival soon."

With that, the driver gave a respectful bow to the young master and drove the two back.

—

On the car ride, Allen was silent, sitting close to Kanda for comfort. It has been strange. It was the first time he had seen his savior with that air of defiance and nobility when he spoke.

_So he really…was an onzoushi? And the way he had addressed his father, that was something that could keep him awed for days. Kanda had been so respectful, his usual demeanor completely gotten rid of. _

Allen stuck out his lower lip as his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

_Would that change anything between the two of them? Was he supposed to treat Kanda differently than he had always been? After all, Kanda was a noble and well, he was…just an exorcist._

Allen felt out of place. Very, what with all that status and new pieces of information about Kanda's background that kept hitting him in shocking waves.

Kanda looked at the moyashi. Moyashi had stuck out his lower lip and furrowed his brows. Kanda sighed.

_The moyashi must be thinking. Too much._

"Baka moyashi, whatever you're thinking about, stop. Now. You'll be fine with me, so stop looking as if you're going to get eaten when we reach."

Now, if nothing settled Allen, Kanda's words did. Allen's face broke into a grin as ne nodded compliantly at Kanda's words.

—

When they reached, Allen was greeted by the most significant sight. He had already entered the large, ominous black gate. Forget the garden and well-trimmed plants; there must have been a hundred gardeners to make it so symmetrical.

The exterior of the mansion wasn't the typical smooth and white expanse like in fairy tales. It was the grandeur of an old line of nobility, gray limestone with the added-on effect of creepers and vines at all the right places. The mansion look like it was three stories high, with the mass of the building characterized by alternating bands of rough and smooth finished stone. From the outside of the structure, there were no leaded window panels framing the glass windows from what Allen could see. It was all large glass ceilings that ran from the floor all the way to the elongated hemisphere near the ceiling; where wall met glass.

"Che, moyashi, it's rude to stare. We'll be meeting my father soon."

Allen, dumbstruck, allowed himself to be led inside the massive façade by Kanda.

When Allen had finally found his voice, he spoke softly, eyes meeting Kanda's, "Kanda, you live here?"

Kanda snorted irritably.

"No I don't. I live at the Dark Order."

Allen saw through that partial truth, choosing to press Kanda into facing his question.

"You used to live here, didn't you? This is your house."

Kanda grunted, refusing to answer that. After a moment, Kanda's slightly wavering voice broke the silence.

"Mo-moyashi, when…when my father comes around, lower your head and just leave the talking to me."

Allen nodded, although he didn't know why he needed to, he didn't want to create trouble for Kanda.

—

The moment they had entered, servants and butlers alike stopped in their bustling and greeted the young master.

"Welcome back, young master."

Kanda gave a nod, which seemed to do the trick, because all the servants and butlers had resumed their work, dusting crooks, replacing flowers in vases, scrubbing and polishing, inspecting each corner and many other things which Allen had no idea why they worked so meticulously for.

They waited at the large but elegant lobby, a lot more impressive then Allen had ever expected it to be. Allen took it silently that they were waiting for Kanda's father. He took this opportunity to look all around him, at the floor, the pillars, the wall, the chandelier which hung mighty above them, and basically everything around him, taking it all in.

_So Kanda was of nobility. It was still a foreign concept to him. His savior, an exorcist at the Dark Order lived here, and here he was, waiting to see his savior's father with Kanda—_

"Otou-sama," Kanda greeted formally.

Allen's head snapped up to look at the man who had appeared before them. The man was in a formal suit, cane in one hand. To say the least, he was dashing, not as much as Kanda though.

No one would ever beat his Kanda. This man was no exception.

His black hair was neatly kept; leaving no bangs to cover his forehead. He wore a cold, calculating look on his charismatic face. It was palpable he had little care for his own son and whomever he brought along. Out of habit, Allen shifted closer to Kanda, seeking the security in their close proximity. After all, he wasn't familiar with this man. Being closer to Kanda eliminated all worries.

"Who, pray tell, have you brought with you? I think you know the purpose of _this_. I see no need for you to bring anyone along with you."

Kanda nodded as he acknowledged his father's words, head bowed humbly, Kanda answered, "My deepest apologies otou-sama, I thought it fitting for me to bring along a personal bodyguard_—_"

The man before them interrupted Kanda. Allen silently decided that he didn't like this man.

"Are the guards I prepared insufficient? I would think I had well over ten fully-trained bodyguards all prepared. This…_boy _is not required. Who is he? He looks…" the man grimaced.

Kanda cursed silently, stealing a glance at the sea of white beside him, immensely relieved to see that moyashi's head was lowered; Allen hadn't seen that grimace.

_So his father wasn't going to let him off eh?_

"Otou-sama, I'm an exorcist. So is he. His abilities aren't to be doubted. I believe I'll be fine, otou-sama," the last words were pronounced, effectively ending the pointless conversation in politeness.

His father gave a curt nod, obviously deeming his son and said nameless boy of no particular importance.

"_It_ will be held tomorrow, bring that guard of yours to the servants quarters if you want, I'll be out for a short while. Dinner will be fetched."

Kanda clenched his teeth.

_He needn't be reminded. _

The conversation wasn't at all like what Allen was expecting between son and father. He had expected something more warm and…close.

—

Allen had been dragged by Kanda up a grand staircase. It was…grand, to say the least. Before he had time to marvel at the intricate designs at the bottom of the railings, Allen had been brought to a room.

_Wow, Kanda really knows his way around here._

To Allen, he had been walking up a staircase, then along corridors and rooms, then a blur and the next he was pulled into a large bedroom. And when he said large, he meant _large._

The bedroom was nothing like those back at the Order. The bed was gigantic, it looked like it was up for three any day at all. There was a hand-painted fresco representing a roman ruin, monument of edifice above the headboard. There were small lights above the headboard that were pretty dim, with even drapes to cover p the whole painting along with those lights. There was a small sculpture on the left of the bed, on the small stand that looked like a dressing table. There weren't any mirrors around though, but as Allen looked a little closer, there was a bathroom in the spacious bedroom.

Kanda sighed. The moyashi really wasn't making things any easier. It was awkward enough as it is with him tying knots out of his brain thinking of ways to explain the "matters" he had mentioned they'd be here for before the vacation as suggested by Komui. Allen had been eyeing the place and gaping at everything for quite some time. He knew living in a mansion with a carriage and a driver ready wasn't something anyone experienced, but well, Kanda was different. He didn't enjoy these luxuries in particular, not to mention he most definitely and fervently wished he wasn't an onzoushi. The responsibility was rather huge and tomorrow was another living proof of that.

"Moyashi, I know you're itching to see the bathroom which's door you've been eyeing for quite some time now."

Allen sat up straight at Kanda's accusation and blushed furiously, wishing that a dark hole three metres deep would appear on the nice bedroom floor and swallow him up. A chuckle soon brought the boy's head up again.

"Wash your hands. I don't want you leaving fingerprints all over the place while we're here."

With that, Kanda strode to the bathroom, knowing full well that was enough encouragement for the moyashi to follow. Allen needed no more encouragement, immediately hopping off the edge of the bed and eagerly following Kanda to the bathroom.

The bathroom was just as posh as the rest of the mansion, and Allen was careful not to gawk when in it, taking in the finer details silently. Allen's efforts weren't missed by Kanda and he gave a deep chuckle, finding the moyashi very, very cute.

"Done washing hands? Dinner would be coming soon, we'll wait on the bed."

When Kanda had stretched and flopped onto the bed, Allen followed suit, lying next to Kanda.

"Moyashi, there'll be some things happening tomorrow. There…there will be quite a lot of people, so you'll act as my guard. It's the only way you can stay near me. And…and, tomorrow—" Kanda mumbled, trying and failing to find the right words to break the news about tomorrow's _event_. It was an embarrassing matter, and Kanda had never been the one to talk about such things. Things were awkward enough what with his status and all.

Allen only listened on, nodding. Kanda seemed to have some things he hadn't been able to say for quite a while now, and he didn't know what it was. It didn't matter anyway, he'd trust Kanda no matter what.

"Kanda, then do I get to sleep here? I don't want to sleep somewhere else," Allen mumbled in concentration.

"Baka. Where else would you be sleeping?"

"But your father said—"

"Forget what he said," Kanda cut off his sentence with an air of arrogance.

"You'll be sleeping here tonight. You're clumsy enough as you are. If you were to sleep somewhere else tonight, I think the place may end up in ruins by tomorrow."

Allen pouted, jabbing Kanda in the ribs half-heartedly.

—

Dinner came soon enough, with a servant knocking and entering, trays in hand. Allen had smiled when he saw that it was two servings of soba.

"Eat. And stop grinning at me like an idiot," Kanda muttered, tucking into the soba.

The servant had stood by the door, waiting to pick up the trays again. Allen's discomfort in this unfamiliar place soon melted away; Allen already beginning to get used to the constant knocks on the bedroom door, servants asking if their young master required their services.

Kanda patiently dismissed each and every one of them, occasionally asking for a glass of water or a drink for Allen.

Night came relatively soon and Kanda slid off the bed, fumbling around and picking out a change of clothes, prompting Allen to change for the night.

Kanda scratched his head, embarrassed, "Moyashi, my old clothes are still around, they haven't been worn in quite a while. If it's fine with you, you can wear my old clothes since I currently have no clothes your size."

Allen had only beamed and accepted the night-wear. Meanwhile, Kanda had grabbed his own change of clothes and Allen heard the sound of the bathroom doorknob turning and the door closing. Kanda, as fast as usual, was already in the bathroom, changing. Allen turned away from the bathroom door and changed into the nightclothes Kanda had handed him.

—

When Kanda had awoken, an adorable moyashi in perfectly-fitting clothes had curled up against him and had a loose hold on the hem of his shirt. Kanda continued watching the little boy, trying to recall when he had worn those clothes before.

_I don't recall wearing clothes moyashi-sized. Had I been that tiny sometime when I was a brat?_

It was hard to imagine himself in nightwear fitting for the moyashi. The good thing was, if he had nightwear that fit the moyashi, high chance he had suits for today's occasion for the moyashi to wear.

At thus, Kanda's eyelids lowered. He dreaded today's event.

_God-knows-what his father had planned. And who his father had set his eyes on._

Kanda gave a silent growl.

_Damnit all. If only he wasn't an earl, then he needn't go through this._

—

When Allen had finally woken up, Kanda was standing by the door in a formal suit, a two-tailed coat with lapels and a tie on. Allen had been shocked. Kanda looked so…human. Serious. Charming. Oh hell yeah, Kanda looked even better than he usually did.

Kanda's eyebrow twitched warningly.

"Enough staring moyashi. You need to change. I've already prepared your suit for you. It's at the edge of the bed," Kanda huffed, annoyed since he was feeling utmost embarrassed in his dress code.

"Why are you in _that_ Kanda? What's going to happen today? Your father said something about it didn't he?"

"Moyashi, I'm sorry. I…I really don't know how to explain this. You'll see when we get down later."

Allen pouted, a little upset. He wanted to know what was going on; he thought Kanda would tell him in time but Kanda hadn't told him anything yet. He was tired of waiting. He wanted to know what this "important matter" it was that Kanda said he had to settle. And yesterday, what his father had mentioned. And now Kanda was wearing something so formal and he had to change too!

Allen nodded finally, which evoked a relieved sigh from Kanda.

—

They were walking down a grand staircase now, one different from yesterday's, and Allen's jaw had dropped.

The hall-like place had balconies and wasn't very bright, the room in not-too-dim lights. There were lots of people, and they were all dressed finely, with gentlemen and ladies all over the place in silk and cotton, gentlemen looking smart and ladies looking elegant.

"What's going on, Kanda? Why are there so many people here?"

Kanda brushed those questions aside, choosing to respond with, "Moyashi, you'll be acting as my guard now, I can't think of any other way you can stay close to me. Keep your head lowered when I'm talking, and follow me when I move."

Allen nodded, forgetting his questions as he looked around in awe. Where had these people come from? He woke up, changed, followed Kanda and here he was, in a large room with lots of people dressed like…like they were attending a ball here or something.

"Don't…don't get lost," Kanda mumbled softly, but loud enough for his moyashi to hear.

That caught the attention of Allen at once.

_Kanda was worried about him._

Allen smiled inwardly. Typical of Kanda, always looking out for him.

When they were at ground level, Allen saw Kanda shift his swift and searching gaze, landing momentarily on a person twenty feet away. It was Kanda's father that had caught his eye.

Kanda brushed past the crowd, making his way to his father. His father was chatting away with some old family friends, then diverting his attention on another family. Kanda stepped beside his father, and his father acknowledged his presence with a 'hm', nothing more, nothing less.

"Now, as I was saying, this is my son. He's an exorcist working for the Dark Order. Yes, it's not easy at all. Finders and researchers, no, he made it to the highest honour he can bring to the family. He's an exorcist. Yes, works for the Vatican."

Kanda drew in a ragged breath. His father was bragging _his_ life away.

_Didn't privacy mean a thing to his father?_

Keeping his emotions in check, Kanda waited for his father to address him and introduce the two parties. After all, his father bragged, but only to people whom he deemed significant enough for.

_So maybe this family's daughter was the candidate?_

"How rude of me, your daughter must be dying to meet my son. Go, introduce yourself, Yuu."

Kanda turned to face the girl before him.

"Yuu Kanda, pleased to meet you indeed, my lady."

To Allen's bewildered horror, Kanda took the outstretched hand and touched his lips to the girl's hand, head tilted forward in respect. The girl's father spoke, allowing a smile to show on his face.

"It's an honour, to have received the invitation and be here with you…This is our daughter, Sakato Shimura—" The girl curtseyed and batted her eyelashes at Kanda, "—she has been anticipating your appearance ever since she found out of your invitation—" The couple was cut off as they turned to engage themselves in a conversation with Kanda's interrupting father, but not before an apologetic nod and another smile.

The occasion was very much English style. The girl was wearing simple yet elaborate kimono, hair done up in an elegant fashion. But Allen wasn't interested. He had kept his eyes on that girl, anger brewing, lips pursed. Now, it was just Kanda, moyashi and Sakato Shimura. Sakato, being a few metres away from Kanda, tried to walk towards Kanda and stumbled in her eager…and the next thing Allen saw, was a pretentious Sakato lunging for Kanda's right arm, practically glued to Kanda, smiling and batting her eyelashes, her hands and body almost…_wrapped_ around Kanda's arm.

Allen was getting angry. He wasn't happy with this party of sorts at all. He had a vague idea of what this whole thing was about now. And he hated it. He had already begun to wish that he could find a way to pull Kanda out of this place. Kanda was obviously not very comfortable with today's event, being uptight and all. Couldn't Kanda's father see that? So what was he thinking, organizing this party-thing and all.

Meanwhile, the girl had opened her mouth to speak, "Yuu, thank you for catching me just now. If it weren't for you, I really don't know how to explain my terribly clumsy behavior," Kanda, hearing the loud and unpleasant voice, turned stiffly to look at the girl, before forcing a smile on.

_He_ hadn't _caught the girl. The girl had _lunged_ for his arm and was currently stuck to his side like a very annoying barnacle._

Kanda merely nodded in a much delayed response, letting his thoughts remain thoughts although he had the urge to make them into verbal words to share with this Sakato instead of thoughts.

The girl, finally acknowledging the Allen's presence, stared at him nonchalantly, before pouting and turning back to Kanda, "Who's he? He's a bit of a…freak. His white hair is…odd."

Wrinkling her nose in a show of mocking disgust, she resumed to ignoring the moyashi and rested her face on Kanda's arm instead, gazing up at cobalt orbs. Kanda seethed inwardly. 'That was uncalled for. _Freak_, she had said. He didn't like the way she had treated moyashi, like he was some sort of abnormal occurence. Even if he _was_ an abnormality, Allen was _his_ abnormality, and nobody was to call him a freak, or odd for that matter, in front of him.'

Kanda knew better than to lash out at her, she had to be something if she caught his father's eye. He was an earl, he had to keep his emotions in check. The last thing he needed to was to upset this prissy little snob. She would most definitely throw a tantrum and complain to her parents if he upset her. His father would never hear the end of it.

Instead, he kept his forced smile on, he gritted out, "_Allen, _is not a freak. He is an exorcist. I will not take too kindly to Allen being called a—" Kanda had to spit this word out, "_freak._ He is by no means one. He is my…personal bodyguard."

Kanda smiled inwardly. The words rolled around on his tongue, slipping out easily when he willed it to. He liked the idea of having moyashi as his bodyguard made known. Yes, _his_. At this, Sakato widened her eyes and pursed her lips even more. She didn't like the way Kanda had addressed the freak.

Whining a little, Sakato put on the cutest-looking pout she could manage and squeezed closer to Kanda, unrelenting, "Yuu, I would think that an outsider has no business with _us _or our conversation, maybe you could get him away and we'll jus—"

"Oh my, is this Kanda-san? I've been meaning to have a conversation with you. I hadn't known you were here, Kanda-san."

Kanda was thankful for the interruption.

"Shimura-san, my sincerest apologies but I think my presence is requested."

With that, Kanda politely but firmly brushed off the Shimura's unrelenting limbs on him.

_And since when were they on first name basis? Yuu, she said?_

Allen had followed Kanda around for hours on end, getting more and more annoyed. Yes, he realized. Realised that his Kanda had girls fawning all over him. He did look good after all. But that didn't mean those girls could flaunt around and bat their eyelashes and smiled their sickening smiles and get so close to his Kanda.

_Couldn't they tell Kanda was uncomfortable? If they couldn't, well, big-time. He had half the mind to tell them to bang their heads somewhere and take a look again. Which part of Kanda said 'I'm comfortable'?_

When Kanda had finally extricated himself from squealing and swooning girls, Allen found himself in a secluded corner with little people. The lights were dim, casting Kanda's face in shadows, only serving to make his features stand out more.

"Kanda, why didn't you tell me? So _this_ was what it was all about? Meeting girls and—" Allen was angry, he was lashing out, accusing Kanda but all he could think at the moment was why Kanda chose to remain silent about this whole event and the purpose of it.

"You've seen my father. He is rather cold, as I'm sure you've already noted. Yes, you may think him a cold and uncompromising man who shows no understanding for his son and has planned out said son's life already."

Kanda's words left Allen in silence.

"Why now, you ask? I had no say in this. I was supposed to come for this quite some time back, and I dragged on, delaying it with excuses of missions and well…Komui helped. But excuses were as far excuses got. I had to attend this in the end. It was inevitable. My father made that quite clear, I assure you. He demanded that I be back as soon as possible and that this matter of "finding suitable ladies" was not something to be taken lightly considering that I'm a to-be earl since he's one."

Allen knew; he knew it wasn't Kanda's fault but that didn't mean he was happy. He hated this whole affair. He wished Kanda didn't have to go through this and stay stuck in a large hall with so many squealing and swooning girls. It annoyed the hell out of him. And Kanda too.

_Or was it just him? It couldn't be…right?_

The silence was suffocating, and Allen had nothing to say. He knew the older man was not to blame.

_It was all that stupid father's plan. Che._

"It's getting late, I'm quite sure the moon's up already, let's get back before my father wonders where I've disappeared off to," Kanda muttered reluctantly.

Allen nodded in agreement, almost thankful that the silence was broken.

_Silence could be very intimidating._

When they had returned, Kanda spotted a certain Shimura getting closer. Almost as if he had a built-in radar for disgusting things, Kanda sighed, knowing that the girl hadn't given up on him. _Che. _Allen only lowered his head, knowing that he had to play along and keep up his pretence being Kanda's guard or he wouldn't be able to follow Kanda around.

_Who knows what that woman might do while he wasn't around?_

Allen shook his head mentally. He had to keep this up, for his own sake, or she may make…_improper advances_ towards his Kanda. She took her time, walking over to Kanda, right up close, then placing her left hand on the spot where his neck met his shoulder; the very same which Allen loved so much to nuzzle upon. Kanda's features gave a slight twitch, but he kept his back straight, trying hard not to flinch from the woman.

"Yuu-kun. I see your father has set his eyes on me. So, what about it? I think the arrangement would go great anytime. Suppose he already has plans for the two of us ne, Yuu?" Sakato breathed at an epic fail of an attempt to seduce Kanda.

She leaned closer, her lips almost brushing Kanda's. Kanda leaned back ever-so-slightly, not at all willing to go along with her antics. He had enough intelligence to disguise it as a gesture of nonchalance.

_This was an important guest. His father wouldn't be pleased if he pissed her off, although at this moment he was compelled to do exactly so and forget what his father expected of him._

The oblivious Sakato hadn't noticed at all, only proceeding to press herself closer to that flat, toned chest of Kanda's, trailing her right hand down, nail scraping the fine shirt Kanda had on. Kanda quivered under the delicate act, utterly disgusted by the woman, but his responsibility as the son of an earl kept him in place, stopping him from moving away. The finger trailed lower and lower, stopping suggestively at his belt buckle. Kanda raised his hand to remove that repulsive hand away, intent on making it clear that he wasn't interested in the arranged marriage, or in bedding the_—_

—

Allen gave a feral growl at where this was going. He'd had enough. This woman in a gown coming over and calling Kanda 'Yuu' when she wasn't in a million years qualified to do so, furthermore placing her filthy hand on his favourite spot, then leaning so close to Kanda's face when she wasn't even called Allen, sliding her finger in that foul manner on _his_ Kanda. Fuck, that woman had even hooked her revolting finger onto Kanda's belt buckle.

Allen slid closer to Kanda from behind, slipping his arms around that slim waist, head resting just above Kanda's shoulder. Not too gently, Allen nudged the hideous hand off of Kanda's shoulder and settled his chin there. Keeping his hateful glare in place, Allen marked his territory.

"Back off!"

The words came out as a possessive snarl, and Allen's effort to draw back his lips and bare his non-existent fangs were rewarded by a horrified squeak and the sight of the awful woman turning heels and moving away from them swiftly, probably messed up as hell about what the boy had just done.

_Ha, I bet she hadn't gotten a very clear look at my face. White hair and a cursed left eye. Good thing she ran off._

Allen lowered his head, arms already slowly withdrawing from the comfortable position above Kanda's hips.

_Wha-What was going on? What in the blazes had Allen just done?_

Allen hadn't even needed to question himself. He knew full well that the woman had him royally pissed and he wasn't planning on letting her have her sickening way with Kanda. Allen backed off a few steps, stumbling as he turned away from a concerned Kanda. He ran out of the large room, running away to no particular place. He felt the need to get away from this stuffy place, away from the strange feeling in his chest that left him painfully confused and messed up. Something alive was spitting and snarling within him. He felt awful. Not awful about what he did, but plain awful from all that he'd seen. Kanda looked after the boy, dazed. Moyashi had helped him get rid of that woman. Then why was he running away? Was he running away from _him_? The thought itself was enough to send a worried Kanda jostling his way through the people and running out of the hall.

—

Kanda was in the corridors of the mansion. Heart thumping hard in his chest, Kanda looked around as he half-ran, half-jogged along the dark corridor, illuminated solely by the moonlight from the large glass windows that ran all the way near the ceiling where the walls start to bend in and meet at a perfect angle for an elongated hemisphere.

_Moyashi. Moyashi. Moyashi. Hell, why did the moyashi have the ability to worry him like no one else does? He might have tripped over in his clumsiness, stumbled and crashed into an antique vase on display, not like he cared for the vase anyway. He was more eager to find the moyashi first. Or the moyashi may have just fallen through the glass windows and fell into the thick bushes surrounding the mansion. Damn. He had to find the moyashi fast. He never liked it when Allen was away for too long. He always found one way or another to worry himself sick about the moyashi's safety._

Kanda slowed, spotting the moyashi resting his forehead on a glass panel, both hands pressed flat against the glass. Kanda made minimal noise as he approached the unaware moyashi from behind.

Stopping two feet away from the moyashi, Kanda spoke softly, "Moyashi?"

Eyes impossibly wide, Allen whipped around at the intrusion. Kanda took a step forward, only to be shocked when moyashi backed away from him.

"It's not ... that," Allen said with diffuculty, keeping his usual tone.

"Eh…? Then what?"

When Allen didn't reply, Kanda's patience ran a little more thinly.

"Look...I'm doing you a favor. Either stop sulking or I'll leave and never come back for you again!"

Allen's breath hitched. Giving in, Allen spluttered out what he had been brooding about.

"She was flirting with you… I didn't like that," Allen muttered, scowling.

There was a silence that lasted a second before Kanda broke it.

"Che." Kanda was relieved. Very relieved. So the moyashi was just upset about that.

"Moyashi, are you hurt anywhere?" Kanda asked, hands gripping his shoulders, head bending down and raking his eyes up and down moyashi's body for any bruises or scrapes.

Allen lowered his head, eyes hidden behind those bangs. Kanda felt an odd annoyance rise up in his chest when he lost sight of those eyes. He felt as if he'd just been disconnected from this situation by not being able to see Allen's silver eyes.

"Yes."

Kanda widened his eyes in alarm.

_He was hurt? When? How? Wh—_

Before he had the chance to say anything, Allen continued.

"Here."

Kanda looked to where Allen had pointed forlornly at, his chest, the place right above his heart. An intense relief slammed into him.

"Baka moyashi."

Kanda crushed his moyashi in a tight embrace, face burying in those white locks, inhaling, breathing in his scent deeply, memorising every single nuance of it, pulling it into his very soul as if he would drown in it, learning the unique smell of the moyashi he had come to become so protective of. This was the one and only moyashi he'd done so much for and will most likely do again for.

"Gomen, baka moyashi. What do you want me to do about it then?"

When moyashi didn't answer, Kanda pulled away, a tinge of worry pulling at him. Brushing those bangs aside, Kanda searched moyashi's eyes. Before he managed to see those silver eyes again, Allen had taken advantage of their closeness and tiptoed slightly, kissing the blue-haired exorcist full on the lips.

Kanda was in shock. He responded three seconds later, a record slow for Kanda, blinking his eyes at top speed, mind registering what had just happened. Blushing a sexy pink, Kanda spluttered, "Mo-mo…moya-mo…moyashi?"

Sticking out his tongue, Allen went, "Zama miro! You asked me what you could do! Heh."

Kanda looked away.

_He __**had**__ asked for it. But he hadn't expected it!_

"Che. Let's go."

.

.

.

"Allen silently decided that he didn't like this man." – That was so cute I was laughing when I put that line in. Go Allen! Stand up fer ya dearest Kanda!

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Onzoushi- word used to describe a son of a distinguished family, most of the time to show that the person is of nobility.

Otou-sama- veryvery respectful way to call one's father.

Zama miro- informal. Ladeeda. I know I've been using informal. Like…for forever. Hehe. Get used to it! ^^Anyway, it's an informal phrase meaning "serves you right".


	6. Fireworks

Yeah I know I've been Missing Persons since forever, but now that everything that has cropped up is almost over, TIME FOR AN UPDATE. I'll attempt to update The Hidden Side next so the next Found update will take a bit. ((: Enjoy.

A/N: Allen here is an accommodator since he was found, and he hasn't been able to control his Innocence, yesh, all the way till he was fifteen. But I didn't really fill the gap from the part Mana died. ^^;; So forgive me if the setting and characterization is a little confusing.

Note: Right, this fic has been stagnant for so long. I'm uh…sorry? I badly need to update The Hidden Side sheesh I've been missing for so long.

Note2: D. gray is set in the 1900s, so I decided that it'd be better if I don't drag in the Prefecture system in Japan, so the different festival locations, HEH, pretend they're all in the same place. The Chichibu Night Fest is at the Saitama prefecture near Tokyo, while the best spot for Hanami is Kyoto. But who's to know that? 8D ME.

Warning: This is a Yullen fic, I'm sure you know that, and if you're here looking for lemons or sth, HAH! You'll be terribly disappointed. There will definitely be an overload of sugar and fluff, but that's all. The most you'll see is an increase in weight on the weighing scale! ^^

Disclaimer: Yeshhh~This place is called _Fan_fiction for a reason. These characters do not belong to me and never will. They belong to Katsura Hoshino.

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"Kanda! What's this?" Allen asked in wonderment, eyes swiveling around, attention span a maximum of two seconds.

Kanda suppressed a smile. He had been uncertain about bringing the moyashi out to a festival he'd barely been to twice in his life, but moyashi's awe at every little thing around, be it the cheerful buzz of noise or the smell of dango or even the making of the Japanese traditional soft cake had made it worth all the doubt and anxiety he had over this matter. He was sure Allen would enjoy himself. Moyashi's very grin told him so.

Kanda had bought Allen all sorts of Japanese food, with the moyashi munching away, absolutely excited and joining in the chattering from the crowds. Kanda wasn't used to the incessant chatter but the moyashi's irrelevant questions and persistent attempts for him to make some form of social interaction was enough for him to engage in a proper conversation between the two. Allen was delighted beyond belief and rewarded the slightly miffed Kanda by stuffing a dango into Kanda's mouth after every successful attempt to get Kanda to talk to him.

Kanda had pointed out the delicacies he's enjoy; basically diabetes served on a plate but Allen wasn't going to acknowledge that. He refused to think of sugar content. If it was sweet, it was good.

It was the Chichibu Yomatsuri, in other words the Chichibu Night Festival of Chichibu Shrine in Chichibu City, one of the best festivals in Japan to see floats. Kanda had known and had walked in the direction of a fleet of floats ahead of them. When the couple had arrived before the floats, the sight was amazing. Allen wouldn't shut his jaws and left them hanging open. In a half-hearted try to help shut moyashi's jaw, Kanda had tickled the white-haired boy's chin but to no avail. The floats were ornately decorated with lanterns, tapestries and gilded wood carvings. To top it all off, vivacious and high spirited drum and flute music accompanied the festival's noise and only brought out the exuberance in young couples, excitement in running children and the liveliness ofsmiling adults. Everyone was having fun and Kanda hadn't missed out on any either.

Allen dragged his savior to watch puppet shows, eat everything he did and play the stall games; one of which Kanda was made to scoop fish from a large tank. Kanda's face was priceless when Allen had dragged him by the sleeve and tugged and pulled so that a reluctant Kanda sat on a wooden bench with him and played the most amusing game he'd ever played. A particularly large fish had been a difficult catch, and it was all Kanda could do not to just kill the fish when it escaped back into the tank from his cupped hands and splashed a mighty lot of water over him. Water had dripped from his face in a charismatic way that had even the stallholder and other bemused participants staring.

After the game Allen had walked off with Kanda in search of more fun to have and Kandahad muttered something along the lines of "eat that fucking fish" and "cooking it" while Allen just gurgled out his light, happy laughter that rang in Kanda's ears. The almost magical sound brought a tint of red to Kanda's cheeks and Kanda tried to turn away from his moyashi but found his gaze locked with Allen's, unable to look elsewhere. The silvery grey eyes had a glint of happiness reflected in them and the moyashi's chuckles that hadn't ceased only gave them a glow Kanda couldn't describe—but instead, felt.

Kanda could feel a lot of things in that moment. There was a strange pounding where his heart was, something he hadn't realized was pounding so much, a warmth creeping it's tingling way to his very core from his left hand, which his moyashi had taken to grasping tightly sometime along the walk; again, something he hadn't quite noticed. There was a strange anxiety locking gazes with his moyashi, something he didn't usually have trouble doing, and above all, there was an emotion within him that bubbled it's way to the top; an emotion he wished, in that moment, to share with the moyashi.

It was…_dare he say it_…love?

And the joy he had experienced bringing moyashi to the festival and the, albeit reluctantly he admitted this silently: fun he had.

His father had never brought him to such festivals and neither had he had people in his life significant enough for him to consider attending such trivialities with. But moyashi proved to be just the one he should have brought along. For the first time in his life, he had voluntarily attended a festivity and most importantly, had enough happiness and fun to account for what he hadn't had enough of in his entire life. His thoughts were placed on standby as he was brought back to the reality of the world; his pounding heart; his bubbling emotions; his slight nervousness and most of all—what he felt for moyashi. Said moyashi's laughter had soon ceased and his smile faded, leaving a look of innocence on his almost blank face. Almost, and not completely, because Allen had seen the softening of Kanda's eyes, and his heart raced seeing the look of slight adoration on his Kanda's face. It was an image he wanted kept etched in his memory forever, engraved within for him to look back at whenever he wanted to. A slight spark of jealousy was set off in the beansprout.

_What if Kanda showed anyone else the very same face he bore right now? What if someone else had seen it before him? _

The thoughts pestered his worried mind and he finally made a move. He leaned closer and tip-toed, kissing Kanda full on the lips.

_He didn't want that clarity of thought. Not then. He didn't even want to consider the possibility that someone else had seen that side of Kanda. Not then at least. _

For now, it was just the 'now'. And he wasn't going to let go of the 'now'.

Kanda's sense reeled. The moyashi had noticed the lack of response and only pressed himself against Kanda, his chest flush against the exorcist's. Kanda's lips parted to form a growl at the sudden invasion of his personal space, but moyashi only took advantage of his parted lips.

Kanda's eyes narrowed in surprise. Allen was being unusually daring, crossing the line like this. He hadn't figured moyashi's unmoving affection for him, and this was way over what he had, or more accurately—hadn't expected.

The raven-haired brought his hands up, placing them gently on Allen's chest. The second Allen realized what Kanda was about to do, his own hands came up and grabbed hold of Kanda's slender wrists mid-air, stopping the motion in a simple yet effective gesture. Kanda, much to his own mingle of horror and surprise, found himself melting under the firm but gentle grip of the moyashi and the lips invading his own.

With a low moan of defeat, Kanda leaned in; kissing the moyashi with a tenderness that ceased all advances from Allen. He pushed away slowly, and a smile worked its way to his beautiful face.

_Kanda had responded to him!_

Allen, by now beaming at a bemused Kanda, took a shaky, excited breath, intent on getting the same response from Kanda again, only to receive a dodge and a mutter of "fireworks", before the raven-haired caught his hand and began to run. They ran along the streets lined with food stalls selling numerous festival foods and amazake to combat the cold December night. The moyashi had made no complaint, enjoying the exhilaration of Kanda holding on to his hand and running through the cool night air like there wasn't a care in the world, no Order, no onzoushi, no sideways glances, no awkward silences.

Allen laughed, a bubbling one that resounded from the his very core, making its shaky way up his throat and making a certain exorcist smile; a genuine one that his own father had probably never got to saw, or at the very least…appreciate it. But here moyashi was, clinging to him in every way possible, a requited concern that was almost tangible, and a fairly new-found affection, all for him; all of it which otou-sama had never granted him. He should perhaps have asked himself once more whether it was wise to develop such a fondness towards another exorcist, and one bound to the Black Order at that, but he'd asked himself such things far too often to no avail, and the question was as unhelpful as ever. He had no need for the internal war waging within the confines and logical harnesses of his mind.

His legs flew across the grass, feet barely having a nanosecond to rest before picking up to make the next lunge again. The couple dodged crowds and finally made their way to a gently-sloping grass land, which was littered with sparse few other couples, looking at the stars in the sky in wait, while others sprawled comfortably on the soft green grass in the night. Kanda slowed down, his breath coming in short, regular and light pants. The moyashi hadn't done too badly either, placing most of his weight on the hand that had his own captured in.

_He didn't want to let go, not just yet._

Kanda however, gave no hint of letting go either, "Another major attraction of the Chichibu Yomatsuri is the fireworks show, which lasts almost two and a half hours," with a fond look at his moyashi, he added, "a rare opportunity to enjoy Japanese fireworks during winter."

Allen had listened to each and every word, willing himself to remember everything Kanda said and find a way to keep it etched in his mind. He didn't want to forget a single thing that happened today. Allen gave an impish grin at that.

_Today was different, special._

Kanda let himself lay peacefully on the grass, tugging at the hand he held so that moyashi could do the same. In a matter of seconds, the two were on the grass, side-by-side, relaxed and comfortable. Allen, seeking comfort in their close proximity, only inched himself closer and closer to Kanda, till he could tilt his head slightly to the side to meet Kanda's sturdy frame. He liked leaning on Kanda's shoulder.

_He liked Kanda._

Kanda had lazily adjusted himself to suit his moyashi's whims and shifted, almost imperceptible to outsiders, towards Allen, and let his head rest on top of Allen's. To anyone else, they would have looked like any couple waiting for the first burst of sparks to light up the sky, but to the two, it was just them in their world. Things were unique, they were special. Passers-by wouldn't understand the chemistry between the two, and they neither needed nor wanted to flaunt what was between them to the world. For the time being, they just needed each other and themselves, and of course, what was between them. Everything else could wait.

As the first burst of sparks exploded in the night sky like firecrackers, the brilliant explosion and aurora of colours were all reflected in the irises of all who were watching the show. The fireworks didn't stop, continuing its spirals and shooting into the deep night sky, seeming to go on and on upwards until it finally slowed; and there would be a moment when you catch the spark in mid-air, unmoving, before it exploded into a million tiny pieces, little flames and glitter dying out gradually before another burst shot up in the fore and background of the endless night sky.

Allen watched, mesmerized, and, in a trance, with his jaws hanging slightly open and his breath coming in long deep breaths, he asked, the only proof of question was the figurative silence lingering in the air and the slight turn of his head towards Kanda.

"Neh, Kanda, do you…do you think you could ever begin to…to care? About me?"

The tell-tale sign of the moyashi's thoughts were only visible through the dim shimmer of something in the corner of his eye. Kanda picked up the train of thoughts. It was probably fear that compelled his moyashi to ask such a confused question. It all buoyed down to Mana.

"You know I do," he said quietly. Allen turned to face Kanda fully, who was propping himself up on his elbow before reaching out and cupping Allen's cheek tenderly in his hand. Kanda leaned in and kissed Allen's warm lips with a soft, desperate slowness before he could waffle any further. Kanda knew he felt something for the boy, now all he needed to do was to trust his instincts and hope to God he was doing the right thing.

Allen had stopped breathing, even after Kanda had pulled away an inch. The close proximity and initiative was doing hazardous things to moyashi's grip on reality, but his mind quickly grabbed a hold of itself when Kanda's final words washed past his ears, "I'll be here for you."

"_Till the end of time."_

Allen's heart skipped a beat, a wondering smile hovering on his lips now; he felt himself going dizzy, but he wasn't quite sure why. Happiness? Daze? Kanda's voice telling him to breathe finally got through and Allen allowed air to gush into his lungs, filling them with the much needed oxygen. He hadn't realized he had stopped breathing.

Allen focused on the cobalt eyes and gripped Kanda's shirt, pulling the exorcist to him and holding onto him tightly. He was a fool to have the entire of himself, his heart and his sanity tied up in one place, in one person... in Kanda. Kanda was the only one he had, yet ironically everything to him, while he was only one to Kanda's big, fancy world. Hell, even Kanda was fancy. But that was a mistake it was far too late to ever remedy, and one he wouldn't change if he could. The duo lay on the grass, chests pressed flush against each other, and the older man permitted the intrusion in his personal space, he had already grown used to the hugs and the piggyback rides the boy made him give and also to the fact that Allen would not sleep without him around.

Kanda mouthed one word at the cute moyashi, _'Fireworks.'_

Smiling, moyashi maintained his proximity with the raven-haired boy, but turned to watch the colourful, spitting sky. It took only a few minutes for the moyashi to start an internal war within his mind. A debate was taking place in his head as he fought the urge to take a peek at the exorcist beside him. It was so tempting to break his gaze from the beautiful sparks in the sky to the mass beside him who was even more beautiful.

He only had that much self-control.

Allen tilted his head to his side almost imperceptibly, casting the raven-haired a sneaky glance. His head turned almost instantly to look back at the sky.

_Kanda had been gazing at him the whole time!_

"Cheater!"

Mildly surprised at the outburst, Kanda's eyebrow twitched in slight annoyance.

"…eh?"

"You said to watch the fireworks!"

The only reply was a snort and a chuckle.

"That's you. Who said I was to do the same eh? Moyashi?"

Kanda gave another chuckle and looked back up at the sky; not to watch the fireworks, but merely to shut his eyes for some peace in the comforting atmosphere.

Allen's breath hitched at the unintentionally sexy drawl Kanda had placed on his nickname. Watching Kanda's every movement made Allen's heart give skip a beat every now and then, and despite Kanda's careless advice for him to watch the sky, he found himself drawn, again, to the sharp yet soft features of Kanda, the perfect jawline he had, his nonchalant flick of a brow every now and then, and Allen knew in that moment—he was a goner. A goner for Kanda.

Softly, under his breath, moyashi whispered, "I love you, you know that?"

Kanda hadn't moved an inch, apart from the gradual rise and fall of his chest as his eyelids remained shut. That was good. It wasn't meant for Kanda to hear. Not yet anyway. He had spoken too softly for a sleeping raven-haired to hear.

Almost an eternity of happiness later, the two made their way back to where the crowd was, and then further down to the main road, where the limousine and chauffeur had already been moments earlier, waiting.

Kanda had slipped into the car right after his moyashi, and when the door shut discreetly behind his back, he saw the moyashi let out a huff of air, blowing his bangs up in a distinctly cute manner. Allen turned to find Kanda gazing at him intently once again, and for the umpteenth time, he was grateful it was him Kanda was staring soulfully at, and not someone else. A smile tugged at the corner of Allen's lips as he stiffened then crumpled in a cute heap against Kanda's side, head on the exorcist's shoulder.

_Moyashi had fallen asleep. The night must have worn him out._

Kanda made a mental note to make sure his moyashi never burned out like that again. And in this moment of silence, Kanda lowered his head into the sea of white hair, and burying his face in it, he took a slow inhale. He gave a nuzzle to the soft hair, but Allen was too fast asleep to respond.

"I know, Allen, and I may just love you… too."

.

.

.

Amazake- sweet rice wine.

Onzoushi- word used to describe a son of a distinguished family, most of the time to show that the person is of nobility.

Otou-sama- veryvery respectful way to call one's father.


End file.
